Only Scarlet Avenges Sable
by rantandrumour
Summary: When Shaz and Alex go missing in the middle of an investigation, its up to the rest of the team to find them. Can they find the two before the kidnapper unleashes his ultimate punishment? Slightly darker themed.
1. Onyx

**Another new fic? haha I know, I'm still working on Rage of Fire, Love of Daughter, don't worry, I hope to update that by Tuesday! But for now... enjoy? Thanks to Blue-Jackal for giving me the inspiration for this fic, and helping me create the plot!**

**Chapter 1: Onyx  
**

He hated her. He knew he shouldn't, but he did. She was the reason he was in this place. She had taken the side of those wrongdoers when all he was trying to do was save them! They were impure, they were unclean. The Lord did not like the unclean. He stared at the opposite side of his cell. She had committed herself to save the unclean. She had sinned. She needed to repent. He had to make sure she'd repent. Only scarlet could avenge sable. She had to bleed to free herself of her sins. And he'd help her. He'd make her see. He'd make the whole station see what they needed to do. By the time he was finished, Fenchurch East would be the purest station in the Met.

~(*)~

**Three months Later**

_She stared listlessly at the wall, completely bored. The fear had diminished overnight, she had been alone since he had first appeared, explaining that he was purifying her. She didn't understand what he meant, but she knew something was going on. If she got out of this, she'd report it straight away._

_Strangely she didn't fear for her life too much. She had been happy most of her life, and she knew it was all about quality, rather than years. In quality she had lived a very long life, and maybe it was her time to go. _

_Her stomach rumbled and she wished she had something to drink. More than that, she wanted something to drink She had had nothing since yesterday noon. He had emerged out of nowhere around three in the afternoon, and she had been tied up ever since. _

_The man emerged from the shadows. "You are starving like the Lord our God starved for you. He did it for your sins. And yet you still live carelessly, unworried by the price he paid. This is your punishment."_

_He grinned happily, and she swallowed nervously. He was a nutter. And dealing with nutters usually ended up badly._

_~(*)~_

Alex sighed loudly as Gene threw them around yet another corner.

"Shut up," he said, as he squealed the tyres in a handbrake turn.

Alex looked at him, amused. "I didn't say anything."

"Yes," he responded slowly, as if talking to an idiot. "But you were thinking it."

"So now you know what I'm thinking?" Alex questioned, slightly intrigued.

Gene smirked and tapped his temple. "Instinct Bolly. I'm all knowing when it comes to women."

"All knowing?" she implored sarcastically. "Should I bow down now and call you God?"

"A simple 'Your Majesty' would suffice, thank you."

"Right," she replied dryly, staring at him. "I'll remember that if I ever suddenly become delusional."

"What are you talking about Bolly? You _are _delusional." His smirk grew into a grin as she gave him one of her most piercing looks.

"Already delusional? How is that?" Her voice was sheer ice, which made Gene's smile grow even wider.

"You try to convince yourself that you're completely immune to my charms. I know that I'm irresistible to all women."

"Talk about delusional," Alex muttered.

"Oi! You told me yourself. How did you put it? 'A sizeable rump of women'" he said, trying and failing miserably to mimic Alex's cut glass tones.

"A sizeable rump of women doesn't mean every woman on the bloody planet, Gene. It means compared to how Sam described you and how you actually are, there are some women on this planet mad enough to fall for you."

"Oh, and how did Sam describe me?"

"Overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe, I think it was."

"He always knew how to compliment someone," Gene muttered without menace. Screeching the Quattro to a halt in front of the station, he looked at her. "So, Bolly, what do you think? Was Sam right? Am I an overweight, over the hill, nicotine stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe?"

Alex stared at him in disbelief. Was he actually asking her this? Would he care what she responded? She knew that getting into his emotional side was rare, and it was almost as if he had opened himself up to her in asking that question. She looked into his bright silver blue eyes, and saw a question in them. Was he afraid of what her answer would be? She knew how she wanted to respond. She wanted to tell him no, that he wasn't overweight, and he definitely wasn't over the hill, but could she? She had never put down her barriers enough to tell him what she really thought about him.

Alex opened her mouth. "I think..."

"_Guv."_ The radio crackled to life, and Alex exhaled the rest of her sentence wordlessly. A flash of annoyance crossed Gene's face before he answered.

"What is it Christopher?"

"_There's been a body found Guv. Throgmorton Avenue."_

"Right. We've just pulled up outside the station. Get the div you call a partner and get out here now."

"_Roger that."_

Alex sighed in relief as Gene got out of the car and the topic seemed to be forgotten. Chris and Ray came out of the station only a few moments later and scrambled into the backseat.

"Right," Gene said, looking directly at her. "Anymore whinging about my driving and you can take a bus. Got it Whiny Knickers?"

Alex just rolled her eyes, and looked out the window.

"I asked if I was understood, Inspector," Gene's voice said levelly. Alex looked at him in exasperation. She could see the faint traces of amusement on his face. He loved to assert his authority in any way possible and she knew he was loving this interchange right now.

"Understood."

"Good." Gene turned the keys and started the car, tyres squealing as he barrelled down to the end of Christopher Street.

"Erm, Guv?" Chris said timidly.

"What?" Gene snapped.

"Erm...it's just...Shaz didn't turn up for work today."

"She didn't?" Gene asked.

"No. And she didn't phone in."

"Did you try to ring her?"

"Well, er, no. She and I...well...I dunno if she'd want me ringing her..."

Gene sighed heavily. "First, you try phoning, and then if there's no answer, we go and break her door down, got it Christopher?"

Chris nodded. "Yes, Guv."

"Good. Now we've got a dead body to look at."

The Quattro raced through the streets of London until it finally reached its destination of Throgmorton Avenue. Plod was already on the scene, blocking off civilians who were trying to look on to the scene. A body was covered up in the middle, and CID headed straight over to the form.

Gene ripped the sheet of the person's head quickly, causing several innocents to scream. "If you don't want to look at this shit, then bugger off!" Gene yelled irritatedly. "Bloody civilians," he muttered. "Always wanting to know what's going on."

"Relax, Gene," said Alex calmly. "It's human nature."

"Thank you, Psycho Knickers. How bout you put that posh little brain of yours to trying to figure out the cause of death?"

Alex looked at the man. A bullet had entered just above his left eye. She had a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach as she answered Gene.

"It looks like a bullet to the head, Guv."

"Right in one! See, I knew there was a reason we had a psychiatrist among us! Now tell us why Bolly."

"You want me to tell you a killer's motive simply by looking at a gunshot wound?" Alex exclaimed. "There's much more that goes into it, Guv. First you have to look at..."

"Yeah, right don't care. What I want, Bolly, is your _gut instinct. _Christ. What is it with my DI's? Sam was all nitpicky about his gay boy science, and you're the same way. What happened to feelings?"

"Are you calling me a gay boy?" Alex asked, trying not to let amusement show in her voice.

"Well, you do believe in their science."

"Just because I believe in having evidence to back up a crime..." Alex started.

"Guv!" Ray's voice shouted, interrupting her.

"What is it Ray?" asked Gene looking relieved.

"Look. He's got a note."

Gene walked over to the body, and pulled a slip of paper out of Ray's hand.

"Well that solves it. Suicide."

"Guv, this isn't suicide!"

"Bolly! Look at the note. He said he was sick of this world, and he wanted to move on. How is that not?!"

"But look at the angle of the wound! It's not suicide, Guv."

"Go whine to the pathologist! You're getting on me last nerve today Bolly. One more word out of you, and you're walking back to the station!"

"But..."

"That's it! Chris, Ray, into the car."

Alex stared in disbelief as Gene drove off, leaving her at the scene of the murder. She grinned to herself. If he was going to be that way, then fine. She'd just go back to her flat. She deserved the day off anyway. She had worked with those Neanderthals for two months straight with hardly a day off. Every day she had scheduled one, Gene had ended up calling her in. No, she was going to go home, take a nice hot bath, and relax the rest of the day with a glass of wine...or at least until Gene came knocking. Of course, if she went shopping, Gene wouldn't find her. Alex nodded to the plod guarding the scene and walked off serenely. Today was going to be just what she needed.

~(*)~

"Guv, Shaz isn't answering."

"Right. Chris, Ray, you go to Shaz's flat. I'll go find our wandering DI. I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to skulk in her flat for the rest of the day."

Ray and Chris nodded. Gene strode out of CID, his coat billowing behind him. Chris and Ray followed, stopping at the front desk to get the keys to one of the patrol cars. Gene walked out to the Quattro. He started it up, and pulled down Christopher Street, making his way to Throgmorton Avenue much slower than he had driven earlier, searching for Alex on the way. She was nowhere to be seen. He finally pulled up to where the plod had been earlier, and were now getting to ready to leave.

"Drake. Where'd she go?" he barked at the uniformed man.

"Err, I dunno sir. She went off in the direction of the station. We haven't seen her since."

"Right. Thanks." Gene walked off, muttering to himself angrily. He got back into the Quattro to hear the radio squawking angrily.

"_Guv! Guv!"_

"What is it Ray?"

"_Shaz," _Ray's voice said. She's no there. It looks like her flat has been broken into."

"Shit," Gene swore. He held the radio up to his mouth. "How's Chris."

"_Not good, Guv."_

"Get him to the station, Ray. Get forensics to Shaz's flat. Got it?"

"_Yes Guv."_

"Alpha One to Control."

"_Yes Alpha One?"_ Skip's voice came on over the radio.

"Ring Drake's flat. Tell her to get her arse over back to the station."

"_Yes Guv."_

Gene threw the radio on the passenger seat, only to grab it a moment later.

"_Control to Alpha One."_

"What is it Skip?"

"_Drake's not responding."_

"Right. I'm gonna go get her from her flat. I'll be back in a moment."

Gene screeched the car to a halt in front of Luigi's, not caring how loud he was. He marched straight up to her flat knocked loudly on the door.

"Bolly! Open up now!" he roared. There was no answer. Gene felt himself growing angrier. He crashed into the door, forcing it open.

"Bolly!" he yelled. There was still no answer. He looked into her small kitchen. There was a bottle of wine sitting on the counter with the cork still out. He checked her living room. She wasn't in there, so he walked into her bedroom. Her work clothes lay in a heap on the floor. Gene called out her name again. There was still no answer. Swallowing hard, he went in to the room he had never entered as long as she had lived here.

Things registered in pieces. One: the tub was full. Two: Wine was spilt all over the floor. Three: A wine glass was shattered on the floor as well. Four: There was no blood.

Gene knelt down and dipped his fingers in the wine on the floor. He put them up to his mouth, and tasted the wine. He didn't know why, he was working on gut instinct. Gene was glad he didn't go with all of Sam's namby pamby science nonsense and still worked on his instincts as soon as he tasted the wine. It was clearly laced with sedatives. If Gene knew Alex, she had probably thrown back an entire glass, not even noticing the odd taste before pouring another and running a bath. He knew one thing for certain however. Two officers were missing, and both had disappeared without a trace.

**to be continued...**


	2. Crimson

**Chapter 2! I CANNOT believe the response to the first chapter! (I was actually demanded to post this chap by a few people, and promised a puppy by one if I did...) Thank you ALL for Alerting, Faving, and Reviewing! Thanks to Blue-Jackal for giving me the inspiration for this fic!**

**Chapter 2: Crimson**

_A small girl, with light hair, running in front of her. Laughing. She knew she was chasing the girl. They were playing. The girl's laugh was like the peal of bells. She smiled as the girl turned towards her, and stopped abruptly._

_The girl's face was not whom she had expected to see. Instead Gene Hunt stood in front of her, hands in his pockets, face full of rage. _

"_I told you to come back to the station! I didn't say go off and enjoy yourself! Bolly! What the hell were you thinking?"_

_Thinking? She hadn't been thinking. She was just angry. Angry at him, for being kind one moment and cruel the next. For breaking her heart. The past few weeks had been awkward, but they had made it through. It was difficult. Every time she looked at him, she saw him naked in bed with her. She saw him sleeping blissfully, hair beautifully sleep mussed. She saw his bright silver blue eyes open slowly as he came into awareness. _

_But that was all over. One argument, and he had stepped out, and returned to work the next day pretending that nothing had happened. Alex was pulled back to awareness when he started speaking again._

"_Bolly," Gene said, staring straight at her, malice in his eyes. "You're not fit to be a copper. I want you out of my life. Get out." The little girl stood by him, smiling laughingly. It wasn't Molly she was chasing, she realised suddenly. It was Sam's test card girl. The girl held Gene's hand and looked at her._

"_Stay Alex. Stay here. You don't want to wake up. They don't want you anymore."_

_Another woman walked up to Gene, placing a kiss on his cheek. . She was brunette and about the same height as her. _

"_Wake up Alex," she said, her hand rubbing her belly. A ring glittered on her finger. "Wake up, and everything will be fine. _

_Alex stared at the three unable to speak for her misery. She looked helplessly on at the smiling woman who Gene now had his arm around. The woman stared at her, smiling gently. "Go."_

She opened her eyes, blinking several times to make sure they were completely open. The room was almost completely dark. Alex felt as though she was rising from a fog. She stayed still a moment, trying to put two and two together. The last thing she knew, she had been in her flat, getting ready to take a nice hot bath. She had been angry at Gene, and swallowed two glasses of wine before she even started running the bath. She changed out of her work clothes, and put on her nightshirt to walk around her flat. She could already feel the wine going to her head as she poured herself a third glass and smiled in satisfaction, knowing that Gene wouldn't want her to go to work if she was pissed. She started running the bath, sitting on the edge of the tub, and sipped out of her wine glass, swilling it around in her mouth. She stopped, just tasting. It tasted off.

That was when it all had started going blurry. Alex was not aware when the glass dropped on the floor, did not realise as she followed. The world had gone black before she had even reached the floor.

Now Alex lay still, trying to figure out where she was. However no sounds emerged so that she could identify her location. Slowly the fog in her brain lifted enough that so that she realised that she was lying on the floor. Her hands were unbound, as were her feet. She wondered what was going on. If she had been kidnapped why didn't they tie her up? Why had she been kidnapped in the first place? Alex rolled onto her back and sat up. Her head was still a bit fuzzy.

Suddenly someone coughed. Alex jumped. "Who's there?" she called out cautiously.

"Ma'am?" Her voice was hoarse, dry, barely a whisper, but Alex knew who it was immediately.

"Shaz?"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?" Alex crawled blindly on the floor towards Shaz's voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine ma'am. He hasn't done nuffin' to me."

"Nothing?"

"No. They kidnapped me about three yesterday afternoon, and I've been here since. They haven't fed me since I got here. I'm not even sure what time it is, but I know it's probably night, because earlier there were some chinks of light coming in."

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue ma'am, sorry." Alex still couldn't see Shaz, but she knew she was sitting close. Close enough, in fact, that she heard Shaz's stomach rumble. She could hear the grin in the WPC's voice as she spoke again. "Sorry. I haven't eaten since noon yesterday. Haven't had anything to drink in that long either."

"They're starving you?"

"Yeah. The man said something about me paying for my sins."

"Great. Another religious nutter."

"I know. We've dealt with enough, haven't we?"

"Too right," said Alex, smiling. "Right after I transferred, we had that case with the man murdering prostitutes?"

"To make them pure for God!" Shaz responded, remembering clearly.

"And then last year, we had the man last year, killing those who wouldn't convert."

"Ah I remember that. He nearly took my Chris," Shaz said softly.

"Do you miss him Shaz?"

"You know, I do. I know its best we're not together though," she said softly, and Alex could tell she was trying to convince herself it was the truth.

"He misses you," Alex said quietly.

"I know," Shaz responded quietly. "I miss him too."

The two women lapsed into silence, not speaking for what seemed like several hours. Both were content with their own thoughts. Just when Alex thought Shaz had fallen asleep, the young woman spoke.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes Shaz?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything." Alex was relieved for something to break the silence.

"A few weeks ago, were you and the Guv together?"

Alex stared into the inky blackness. This was what she didn't want to face.

"I'm...I'm sorry ma'am. It not my place I shouldn't have interfered."

"No, Shaz, it's okay," Alex responded honestly. "To tell you the truth we were, for about two months. How long did you know?"

"I guessed about a month ago. What happened?"

"It all happened really fast. I'm not entirely sure myself. It was about a week ago. Gene and I had been drinking like we usually do. We were up in the flat. We argued about something, I don't even remember what. He got really angry, and ended up throwing a record across my flat. It nearly hit me. I remember he looked at me, completely drunk, and completely shocked. I told him to get out. He left quite willingly and the next day we were back to what we were three months ago."

"That's horrible. He threw something at you?!"

"He was drunk, Shaz. He could hardly stand in the first place, much less aim. If I know Gene Hunt, I know that he would never purposely throw something at me, intending to hurt me. He was too drunk that night," she mused. "He shouldn't have driven home."

"I'm sorry Ma'am."

"It's alright. I guess I really should just give up on men altogether. I had my ex-husband, who is a complete tosser by the way; walk out on me and Molly when she was six months. I divorced him after that. I made sure I put the papers in before he did. When I came here, I figured I'd have a fresh start, but no, I've got a reputation as a whore because of that night with the Thatcherite, and now Gene doesn't want to look me in the eye either."

"Ma'am, you can't talk that way. I can guarantee you that the Guv is miserable right now. He's probably regretting throwing the record at you, has probably been beating himself up for it since he did it."

"And probably for my disappearance," Alex said quietly. "He left me at the crime scene for being too mouthy so I went back to my flat, where I was taken."

"He's not looking you in the eye cause he feels guilty ma'am. He spent two years trying to get you; he won't stop liking you over one petty thing."

"You know Shaz? You are wise beyond your years."

"Thanks ma'am."

They lapsed into silence again. It was Alex who spoke next.

"So how do we get out of here?"

"Dunno. We're on the opposite side of the door. I saw them coming in and out of it when they dropped you off and they came in to talk to me. Opens into the room."

"So we don't have a chance to break it down, do we?"

"Doesn't look like it. And it looks like it's a really heavy wood too."

"Great." Suddenly a memory popped into her head. Something that Sam had said that Gene said during a hostage situation in Manchester. "_No, I reckon we could take him. I'll jump on him, you take his gun and Cartwright can jump up and down on his knackers. Free the hostages, get down the pub, no problem." _ Alex smiled softly to herself. That was definitely something that Gene Hunt would say. Could they even get behind the door to jump the man though? She didn't know where the door was, and if Shaz hadn't eaten or drank anything in the past day or so, she was going to be extremely weak. "Do you have any idea where the windows are?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I know earlier there was some light shining in across from where I'm sitting, but I can't think of exactly where it was."

Alex nodded, even though she knew that Shaz couldn't see her. "I'm gonna see if I can find it." She stood, and felt her way across the room, stopping as her hand felt the wall. She moved along it, trying to find a difference in the texture of the wall.

Finally, she found it, a small crack where a board was definitely covering the window. "I found it!" she whispered loudly, knowing that if there was someone on the other side of the door, they may be able to hear her. She started pulling on the wood, trying to remove it from the window. It wouldn't budge. She tried for several more minutes, but finally gave up, panting against the wall underneath it.

"I tried that yesterday ma'am. Ripped up my fingers something terrible. Wouldn't budge."

"It won't for me either. What are we going to do then?"

"The Guv'll find us," Shaz said confidently.

"I'm not sure he's even wanting to find me," Alex said bitterly.

"Oh ma'am, of course he does. Remember what I said earlier? He's not gonna stop liking you over one thing. He's gonna be trying to find you as hard as he can."

Alex smiled softly to herself. This girl certainly was optimistic, even in the worst of situations. Alex started as a light showed suddenly from underneath where the door was. It banged open, and she blinked in the sudden brightness, her eyes trying desperately to adjust. A man stood in the doorway, his face covered. He looked at her by the window, and then over to Shaz on the opposite side of the room. He entered, shutting the door behind him. He turned on a torch and walked over to Shaz pulling her to her feet. Shaz grunted in protest, but he paid her no attention, dragging her to the door. He opened the door and dragged her out, and Alex heard the lock turn behind him. Not five minutes later, she heard a gunshot and jumped.

No. He didn't. He couldn't have killed Shaz. Alex heard the man's footsteps pounding up the stairs, and a door opening. She heard water running. A shower. He was taking a shower. Was he washing off the blood? The water turned off, and soon the door to her prison was opening.

"What have you done with her?!" Alex screamed at him, feeling tears prick in the corners of her eyes.. "What did you do to Shaz?"

"She paid for her sins. Now get up. You're coming with me." He grabbed her arm, but she pulled away from him.

"Bastard!" she hissed.

The man just sighed, looking up to the ceiling. "I didn't want to have to do this. But, remember, you brought this on yourself."

He pulled something out of his pocket, but in the dim light, Alex couldn't see what it was. He pulled her to him again, holding her tighter than he had the first time. She struggled against him, trying to get away, but she felt a sharp stab in her leg. Alex cried out in pain. She felt something cold moving up through her leg and up her spine, and then the world went black around her once more.

**To Be Continued  
**


	3. Ebony

**My goodness, the reaction to this fic has been absolutely amazing! Thank you to EVERYONE who has read, reviewed, favourited, and alerted! Also a huge thanks to Blue-Jackal for inspiring this, and another huge one to Ferndavant for my awesome puppy! (oh yes, and apparently this chapter I'm getting a giraffe... :D)**

**Chapter 3: Ebony**

"_You should have saved her."_

_Gene's voice was calling to her. She looked for him in the darkness, but she could not find him. _

"_You should have saved Shaz. This is all your fault, Drake." He stepped into her field of view. His face was contorted with rage. "Why didn't you even try?"_

"_I didn't know," Alex whispered, to quietly even for herself to hear. Guilt weighed heavy in her stomach. Shaz was dead and it was all her fault. _

"_That's no excuse," Gene said angrily. He had heard her somehow. How had he heard her? _

"_Guv," Shaz's calm voice called out suddenly. "Guv, don't blame her. She couldn't have done anything." Shaz appeared out of the darkness, stepping into the ring of light Gene stood in._

"_She couldn't do anything? She sat there and watched as he pulled you out." _

"_When she tried to resist, he knocked her out again. He had the needle on him then Guv. He would have knocked her out if she resisted then too. You know it as well as I do, Guv. She couldn't do anything."_

_Gene glared at Alex as Shaz continued to speak._

"_It would have played out the same way even if she hadn't been there. Just think rationally Guv."_

"_You were one of the brightest. You would have made a great copper."_

_Alex stared through tears, completely forgotten as the conversation continued._

"_Nothing can be done now Guv. He made me 'pay for my sins.'"_

_A third figure walked into the light as Shaz walked away. It was the woman from the last time, the one who Gene had wrapped his arm around before. The one who wore his ring._

"_Gene. Just leave it be. You couldn't have done anything. It was meant to happen."_

"_It's all my fault. The fact that...it happened."_

"_It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, except for the man who did this."_

"_I know. It's just..."_

"_You feel guilty." The woman stepped closer to him, and Alex felt a stab of jealously wash through her over her closeness._

"_Yeah."_

"_I don't like it either. No one asked for it to happen. But Gene, no matter what, we'll work through it together."_

_Gene stared at the woman, an expression of understanding and sorrow in his eyes. The woman wrapped her arms around his waist and he responded, wrapping his arms around her waist. _

_They walked away from her, leaving her in the darkness once more. Tears poured down her face as she was left alone in her sorrow._

_~(*)~_

Fog swirled around in her brain. Sounds were hazy, but she knew she heard something, even if she couldn't identify it. Her body was too heavy to move. Alex moaned, delighting in the sound, knowing that she was still alive.

A pain started throbbing in her leg. He had stabbed her with something, and then it went black. It must have been a tranquiliser of some sort. He had told her she had brought it upon herself. Shaz had already gone.

Shaz... Alex knew that tears were falling from her eyes even if she couldn't feel them. Shaz was dead, and it was all her fault.

Alex became aware that she was lying on her back. Her hands were still unbound, as were her feet. She opened her eyes, blinking slowly, taking in the scene around her. She was in the room of a flat, one which looked like it had long been abandoned. It was a different room than the last one; the dimensions of the room were different. He must have moved her whilst she was unconscious. The windows were boarded up, just like in the previous room she was in. The door was shut, she was sure if she tried the handle it would be locked. The door looked much sturdier than any other flat she had been in. Like Shaz had noted with the last room, the door opened in. Alex cursed to herself. How was she supposed to get out of this? How was she going to tell Gene about...about Shaz? He'd surely blame her.

Instantly, Alex thought of the dream she had had. Shaz had told Gene not to blame her. Was that a sign? Would Gene blame her at first, and then realise that it wasn't her fault? Alex knew she should have fought, but she had been stunned and partially blinded when the man had walked in before.

Who was the man? He had sounded familiar, but she could not place the voice. She knew he was a religious nutter, but she had dealt with plenty of those people at Fenchurch before.

Alex sat up slowly. The drug was wearing off, and she wanted to get a better view of the room she was in. The floors were made of wood, and faded paint was chipping off the walls. Strangely, there was an iron ring fastened to the wall, as if to hold something in place. A bare bulb hung in the middle. It was currently lit, which explained why she could see. She knew if it were turned off, it would be as dark as it had in the previous flat.

Alex looked down at herself. She was wearing her black nightshirt, but had no clothing besides that. She had only been wearing that to walk around her flat before she was going to take her bath. Alex felt distinctly uncomfortable by the fact that she had no knickers on.

"_Well,"_ she thought wryly, _"Gene can't call me Bollinger Knickers, can he?" _Alex was pulled back to her dream once more. Who was the woman with Gene? She was wearing his ring, and he held her like Alex had longed to be held by him. The woman had the power to partially soothe his worries, his blame. They had a closeness that Alex had never felt. Not with Pete, not with the Thatcherite, not even with Gene those two months.

Alex wondered if she'd ever find a man to share that kind of closeness with. Well, that was assuming that she got out of this mess of course. Would she make it out alive? Or would she end up like Shaz? Would Gene find her in time? Or would he find her body, cold and lifeless, staring at it on some slab in the morgue as they would no doubt be doing to Shaz's in a few hours? She imagined the look of pain on Chris's face when he saw the body. Alex knew that no one would ever look on her with that sort of sorrow. No, she was alone, she had always been alone, and she would always be alone.

The sound of footsteps started her out of her reverie. Alex backed up against the wall, staring straight at the door. It opened, and the man walked into the room, wearing a balaclava.

"Good. You're awake."

"You killed Shaz," Alex whispered.

"She paid for her sins, just like I told you before."

"You _murdered _her." Alex hissed, glaring at him. Strangely, she didn't feel afraid of him at all. All she could feel was anger. She wanted to strangle this man. He had killed one of her mates, and she wanted him to feel the pain that she felt. "_Murdering_ is a sin. How are you going to pay for that?"

"The Lord forgives those whom he sets on a mission."

That was it. Alex jumped and lunged towards the man. He jumped back just as quickly, catching one of her wrists and pulling it behind her back. He slammed her up against the wall. Alex whimpered in pain, but the fury still coursed through her, red hot.

"The Lord doesn't forgive murdering _bastards,_" she hissed through the pain.

"The Lord will forgive me. I'm ridding the world of a whore. Cause that's you are, aren't you? You sleep with random men that you meet, you've been divorced. You're a whore, Alex, and the Lord will send you straight to hell."

Alex felt the hair rise on the back of her neck as he whispered to her. "You're just like an animal, Alex. And do you know what I think? Animals need to be controlled."

He shoved her up against the wall again, one of his hands moving from her back. Alex tried to push herself away, but he slammed her into the wall for a third time. This time she hit her head and crashed to the floor dazed. The man pulled her arms behind her and handcuffed her, giving her a kick in the kidney for good measure. Alex cried out in pain.

She was vaguely aware as he left the room, returning a few minutes later with something clinking in his hands. Alex turned herself over to see what he was doing.

He had a large chain attached to an iron collar in his hands. At the moment, he was working on fastening the chain to the iron ring she had seen earlier. He was completely involved in his work, paying to attention to her. The door was still open. Alex got up quietly. It was slightly difficult because her hands were behind her back, but she managed to get herself to a standing position with no sound whatsoever. She tiptoed to the door, praying that there wasn't a creaking board that she would step on. Alex made it out of the door of her prison without him noticing. She was definitely in a flat of some sort.

Alex made it to the front, using her teeth to turn the handle. She gagged at the metallic taste, but silently. Alex made it into the hall before she heard his scream of rage. She ran to the nearest flight of steps, hearing his pounding footsteps behind her. It was hard to run. She couldn't keep her balance easily. Alex made it to the ground level before she tripped and went sprawling on the ground. She felt the concrete scrape her cheek before he was there, keeping her on the ground by sitting on her waist.

Alex opened her mouth to scream, but his hand got there first. She bit at him, but even though he hissed in pain, he didn't release her.

"That was very bad, animal. Bad animal." Alex felt all shreds of dignity being ripped from her as he stripped away even her name. "Animals should learn not to scream. But until you do, I'll just have to keep you silent other ways.

His hand moved from her mouth, but he did not move from the small of her back. She felt his weight adjust as he moved to grab something, and then heard the rip of tape. Alex tried to keep her head away from his hands, but he caught her, and slapped the tape in place.

"Now, animal, you have two options. One is to come up back to the flat quietly, or I can take you forcefully up there. You're lucky. Most animals don't get choices."

The man got off her back, and pulled her up to her feet. "Let's get up those stairs, animal. Your chambers wait. He pulled her by her elbow, and Alex grudgingly went back up the stairs, trying not to cry as she felt all freedom being removed from her. She paid no attention to her surroundings, concentrating only on each step as it took her one step farther from freedom, from dignity, from life.

They reached her prison once more, and the man shut the door behind them, making sure to lock it this time. Alex sat in a corner, staring miserably at the door, wishing she had not stumbled and fallen. Her feet were burning from slapping on the floor, and her cheek was bleeding slightly.

The man finished working on the chain, and stood up. "It's all done," he said, his voice smiling. "Perfect to keep animals from running away."

He pulled Alex to her feet once more, and put the collar around her neck. Alex felt completely humiliated. There was one reprieve, however, as he removed her handcuffs and ripped the tape of her mouth.

"I took the tape off, animal, but if you keep screaming, its going back on again. I'll leave you alone now, to think on your sins."

With that, he left the room, closing the door sharply behind him, and the lock clicking in place loudly. Alex pulled miserably at the heavy iron collar uselessly before sitting down against the wall, sobbing her heart out.

"_Please let Shaz have been right," _she thought. _"Please let Gene find me."_

**to be continued....**


	4. Vermillion

**I continue to be amazed at the response to this story! Thank you SO much for reading, reviewing, and adding to your favourites and your story alerts! Thanks to Blue-Jackal, for inspiring this, for continuing to give me ideas on what to do to Alex, for my amazing giraffe, and for the not so amazing polar bear in a snowstorm... **

**Chapter 4: Vermillion **

Gene stared anxiously at the two empty desks in CID. Bolly had only been missing for a matter of hours, but he was extremely worried about her. Forensics was doing a sweep of her flat, and they were doing one on Shaz's as well. Ray was putting both of their photos up on the whiteboard, the last crime wiped clear from it. The worst part was, no one knew exactly how long Shaz had been missing. She had taken the day off the day before, and could have been taken anytime during that day. Gene had already figured out that Bolly couldn't have been gone too long, the bath water she had run had still been warm when he was over there. She was probably still out cold. If he could taste the sedative easily in the drink, there had to be loads in it.

Gene kicked his rubbish bin in frustration. There was nothing he could do! He had no idea where she went, and unless forensics got anything, the trail was as cold as ice. Gene stared out at Chris, who was staring miserably at the opposite wall. The poor bastard. Shaz was everything to him, and first she had broken up with him, and now she'd gone missing. He was probably beating himself up inside for not protecting her. Just like Gene was doing to himself.

Gene laughed angrily at himself. How could he protect her from someone else when he couldn't protect her from himself? He remembered their last night together. They had both drunk too much, but not enough to forget everything the next day. They had gotten in an argument. Gene couldn't remember what about, but he knew it had been a full blown row. Alex had gotten flushed, yelling herself blue at him. He had gotten extremely angry, the rage fuelled by the amount of alcohol he had consumed. Before he knew what had happened, he had a record in his hand and his arm was moving, throwing it.

The room had frozen at that moment. Alex had stared at him, her fury increasing. "Get out," she had hissed. Gene left willingly, shocked at what he had just done. He'd thrown something at her. If he could throw something at her, how much would it take for him to throw a punch? How long until he turned into his father, beating the innocent, and not giving a shit at all?

The next day, he'd treated her like nothing had happened between them over the past two months. He knew it had hurt her, but she could get over the emotional pain eventually. She'd find another man and move on. If he had hurt her physically, he knew that nothing would repair their relationship then. No, it was better to treat her as a work mate, and a work mate only.

Now she was gone, and it was his fault. If he hadn't left her on site to rile her up, she wouldn't have gone back to her flat, and she wouldn't have been kidnapped. Deep inside, Gene knew that he wasn't thinking rationally. If she had come back to CID with them, it would only be extending the time before she had disappeared. The kidnapper had obviously waited for her to pass out. The question was how did he get her downstairs without anyone noticing? She wasn't going to be able to walk herself down those stairs; that was certain.

The station seemed at a loss. They had to make their own tea, something which Shaz usually did when they had a case that would certainly keep them overnight. Gene looked at the clock. It was gone eight. He grabbed his phone. He had to feed this lot somehow.

Half an hour later, Luigi showed up, arms laden with bags of takeaway boxes. Gene left the office to greet the small Italian, and grabbed a bag, shocking everyone.

"Let's take these to the canteen," Gene muttered. Luigi nodded and followed, where they stacked the takeaway boxes on a table. "Thanks Luigi," he said, making the Italian nearly jump out of his skin in shock. Gene pressed a note into Luigi's hand. "Keep the change."

Luigi looked at the note and back up at Gene in confused amazement. Gene merely nodded, and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. Luigi left, scurrying, so that Gene couldn't change his mind about the note, and Gene walked back into CID.

"Luigi brought us food. You're here until we get a lead, got it?" CID nodded.

"Good. Now go get your food, and get back to work!" Gene said sternly. CID jumped out of their seats, racing towards the canteen, except for one.

"Chris," Gene said gently. Shit, how was he supposed to deal with this? It was Bolly who was the bloody psychiatrist! Chris didn't respond, continuing to stare at the wall, one hand clenched into a fist, the other supporting his head, elbow on the desk.

"Chris, there's food in the canteen," Gene repeated.

"Not hungry," he muttered, his voice catching.

"C'mon," Gene said, pulling Chris out of his seat and down the hall to an interview room where it was more private. He sat Chris down in one chair and sat across from him.

"I know you're worried about her. But staring at a wall isn't going to help her."

"Nothing can help her," Chris murmured. "She's gone. It's my fault."

"No. It's not your fault, Christopher. You weren't there. It was her day off, it wasn't your day off. You were here. You can't be blamed for not being there."

"But, Guv..." he started.

"No," Gene said forcefully. "You are _not _at fault for this Chris. Go and get your food. I expect you back in CID, working on the case. You can be her Lancelot, but only if you get your arse in gear. Got it?"

"Yes, Guv," Chris said, his expression slightly less morose.

"Good. Now mush."

Chris left, and Gene sunk down in the chair. Now, if only he could convince himself of what he had said to Chris, everything would be better. But he couldn't believe it. Gene buried his head in his hands. If anything had happened to Alex, he could never forgive himself.

~(*)~

_She ran across the streets of London, weak and stumbling. He was a nutter, a complete nutter. As soon as he had thrown her from the van, she had looked at what street she was on. Lamb Street. She had taken off running immediately, but soon reverted to walking. She was too weak to be able to run. She looked up at the street she was on. Appold Street. She was close. She had to get there fast. She had to get there before he found her again. She had to get there to be safe. _

_She continued to stumble along the streets, the mantra repeating in her head. She had to get there fast. She had to get there before he found her again. She had to get there to be safe._

_~(*)~_

Gene stared angrily at the whiteboard. Forensics had found nothing! There was no trace of prints, no hair, no fibres of any kind left behind. In fact, the only thing that showed the intruders presence was the fact that Shaz's flat had been broken into.

Gene continued staring at the board, thinking. "SHIT!" he yelled.

"What Guv?" Ray asked.

"What if they're not related?"

"What do you mean?"

"What kidnapper takes two victims at separate times over two days? He took them in completely different ways too. Alex was drugged, her flat wasn't broken into. Shaz's was, and there's no sign that she was drugged. The MO is different. This could be totally unrelated."

"Shit," Ray said, staring at the board. Chris, who was writing something, stopped and buried his face in his hands.

Gene looked at the clock. It was just gone seven am. He had sent half of CID home around one, and the other half was trying to conceal their yawns. He considered sending them home. They had no leads, and unless the kidnapper initiated contact, no way of finding Alex and Shaz, if they were in fact together.

Gene's reverie was interrupted by shouting down the hall and CID erupting into a huge cheer as the door opened. Chris leapt from his seat, only to be jumped on by the woman that entered CID.

"Shaz!" he cried, his voice exuding joy.

"Chris," she whispered weakly. "I thought I was a goner."

"What happened?"

Gene noticed how weak Shaz seemed. He pulled out a chair. "You. Sit. Ray, go make her some tea. You," he said, pointing at Poirot. "Go get her food. He handed a tenner to Poirot, and the man left quickly.

"I expect change!" he roared. Gene sat across from Shaz, who was now holding Chris's hand like a lifeline.

"Are you okay, Shaz?"

"I'm fine. Just hungry...and thirsty. He didn't feed me or give me water or anything." Ray set a mug of tea in front of her.

"Ray," Gene ordered. "Go get her a glass of water." Ray looked at him, but Gene shot him a warning glance, and he walked off without a word.

"What happened, Shaz?" Gene asked.

"Thursday, I was in my flat, because I wasn't feeling good. Round three, I heard a crash, and when I went to my door, it was kicked in, with a man standing in the doorway. He charged me, handcuffing me. Then he put tape over my mouth, and a blindfold over my eyes. He took me into a van, and when he took the blindfold off, I was in some sort of abandoned flat. I've been there since, until this morning, he released me, and told me I'd paid for my sins."

"Religious nutter," Gene muttered disgustedly. Didn't they get enough of those?

"It was weird though. He released me, and then shot over my head. Like some sort of warning."

"He didn't hurt you at all though?" Gene confirmed.

"No. He didn't even tie me up. Just locked the door."

"What's that then?" asked Chris, holding her fingers up to the light. They were bloody and scratched.

"Oh. I tried to get the wood off the window, but I couldn't. I ruined my fingers doing it."

"Shaz," Gene asked. "Did you see DI Drake at all?"

"Yeah," she answered immediately. "She was brought in a while after me. I don't know when. It took her a while to come round, and even then she seemed a bit hazy. We talked for a bit, and then he took me to release me."

"She wasn't hurt at all?"

"No. He didn't tie either of us up. We were free to move wherever in the room."

"Do you know what street he released you on?"

Shaz nodded immediately. "It was Lamb Street. He took me in a van though."

Gene looked at Chris and Ray. "Right. As soon as Poirot returns with your food, eat, and go to Chris's flat. I assume that's okay with you Chris?" he asked.

Chris nodded firmly. "It's perfectly fine, Guv."

"Good. Go to Chris's flat, get some sleep, and come back Monday. "

Shaz nodded. "Thanks Guv."

"Right. Let's fire up the Quattro." Chris and Ray ran out after him, and they sped over to Lamb Street.

By the time they got back to CID, Gene was swearing profusely. She hadn't been there. None of the flats had been boarded up, and none were abandoned. What was this bastard doing? Would she be back tomorrow morning? What did the man want?

He stomped into CID, where an unlucky Poirot happened to get in his way. "CHANGE!" he roared.

Poirot handed over a wad of bills and ran off quickly. Gene stormed into his office, slamming the door behind him. He had to find Alex. He had to find her before something happened to her. Gene swore once more. Where was that bloody lead?!

**to be continued**


	5. Obsidian

**This chapter gets a bit dark... Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and favourited, and the insane amount of people who have added this to their story alert! Thank you to Blue-Jackal for constantly thinking up things for me to include and for helping me figure out bits of plot.**

**Chapter 5: Obsidian**

She had not seen him for what seemed like a day, but in this windowless prison, it could have been mere hours. She had cried until she had no more tears. Most of her sorrow was for Shaz, but Alex couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. All she had wanted was to piss Gene off, and now she was stuck in this place, a collar around her neck, chained up like a dog. He had stripped her name from her. He called her animal, and treated her like one.

Alex knew who the person was, but at the same time she didn't. His voice, his stance, his demeanour were all that of someone she had met before, but she couldn't place him. She had put away too many religious nutters doing God's work in the past three years to count, and not all of them had gotten long sentences. It looked like one had come out with a serious grudge.

Alex pulled at the heavy iron collar around her neck. She knew that tugging on it would do no good, but it was incredibly uncomfortable. She knew one thing. She had to defy this man. She couldn't let him win.

Alex was momentarily blinded as the door opened suddenly. The man was standing in the doorway, and something about his presence made Alex shiver. This encounter was not going to end well. She could feel it already.

The man walked into the room, turning the light on, causing Alex to blink as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. He walked towards her, and it was all Alex could do not to back up against the wall.

"_Defy him. You're stronger than him, Alex," _she said to herself. She averted her eyes, looking down towards the collar, and continued to fiddle with it, trying to get it off.

"There's no point in trying to get that off," he said. "Iron is stronger than you. Stop."

Alex ignored him, and stood, looking at where her chain and the ring on the wall combined. The last link was welded around the ring, and the ring was connected directly to the wall. It certainly looked impossible to escape.

She heard him sigh in annoyance, and felt him walk over to her. "You're as stupid as a sheep, aren't you?" he asked her. "No...point...in...trying...to...get...away," he said as if talking to a complete idiot. "Iron...stronger...than...human. Stop. Bad animal."

That was it. Alex couldn't take it anymore. She wanted out of this place, and the only way was to get rid of this man first. With a fierce growl, she turned around and started punching the man in the stomach. He doubled over, gasping for breath, but Alex didn't stop. She kicked and punched, unleashing her fury at this man.

Eventually, his hand reached out and pushed her back against the wall, giving him time to move out of her reach before she got back to him again. "You'll never control me, you bastard."

He stared back at her, his eyes glittering with fury, and Alex felt the defiance leave her as fear replaced it.

"I won't?" he hissed, stepping across the room in two strides. He grabbed her arms and pinned her up against the wall, his hands holding her wrists. "I think you forget, _animal,_ that you are the one chained up here. I think you need a lesson in obedience." His body pressed up against her, leaving no doubt in Alex's mind as to what he was about to do.

"No," she yelled desperately. "Get off me!"

"It's too late. I didn't want to do this, animal, but defiance makes the master do things he doesn't want to." He pulled her hands behind her back and moved his hands to his back pocket, his body pressed against her so that she couldn't move at all. She squirmed to get free, but to no avail.

The man's hands were behind her back again, and she felt something cold and metallic snap on her wrists. Alex tried to pull her hands in front of her, but she was handcuffed. She couldn't do anything, she realised miserably. She knew, however that she wouldn't let him do what he was going to without a fight. She jutted her knee up sharply, and felt immense satisfaction as he doubled up in pain, swearing.

"You're displeasing God by swearing," she said sarcastically. He was still doubled over, gasping for air. Eventually, he straightened, still breathing heavily, fire in his eyes.

"You..." His hand reached out and smacked its way across her face. Alex cried out as it connected, the slap echoing around the room. He shoved her up against the wall roughly, his eyes glinting with malice. Alex felt a chill run through her. She knew she shouldn't have done that, but she hadn't been thinking straight.

She couldn't see his mouth through the balaclava, but his eyes crinkled upwards in what she knew would be an evil smile.

"You're a very naughty animal indeed. Your lesson in obedience is long overdue." He shoved his leg between hers, his other foot stepping on hers.

Alex felt the tears start running down her face as she tried still to wriggle away, refusing to acknowledge what he was about to do.

~(*)~

She was in a corner now, her arms still behind her back, tears still streaming down her face. He was in the room, fixing the chain that held her collar. The door was wide open, and tempted as she was to run out, she couldn't. After her 'obedience lesson,' as he had called it, he had removed the collar and duct taped her ankles together, throwing her into the corner.

Alex remained silent, not wanting to endure his anger again. Her cheek was still stinging, and she could swear that it had swollen slightly.

"You know, animal, I'm not the bad guy," he said, studying the chain and the iron ring as he talked to her. "I can be a very good master. I'm a very nice master, if you obey. But if you're a bad animal, I have to punish you somehow."

"You're a bastard," Alex whispered, her voice cracked.

The man dropped the collar, letting it hit the wall with a loud clunk and ring. He walked over to her and stared straight into her eyes, his hand stroking her cheek. "And you're a whore, animal," he said softly. "I'm just trying to save your soul. If you'd just obey me, stop fighting me, it would be a lot easier."

Alex tried to muster all the hate she could into her eyes. "Never," she hissed.

His eyes turned up again, but this time he seemed amused. "That's what you think now, animal, but you've got your entire punishment to think about whether or not you want to."

"Punishment?" Alex asked bitterly. What else was he planning?

"Yes," he said, almost laughingly. "You were a very naughty animal. You have to be punished for that." He tore the duct tape from her legs and made her stand up. The man pulled her over to the wall where he had dropped the collar. Alex felt a rush of fear as he pressed her up against it once more, but this time he radiated calm, instead of the fury of earlier.

Alex heard a metallic clink and felt the cold as the collar encircled her neck once more. "I'll be back to check on you later, animal," he said. He left the room, and Alex heard the characteristic clunk of the lock being turned.

She wanted to sink to her knees and sob, but she couldn't. He had shortened the chain. It was just a foot long now. She couldn't sit, kneel, or even squat. The chain was too short. She couldn't move anywhere. Her hands were still behind her back. Alex realised what he meant by 'punishment.' This punishment would be as hellish as her 'obedience lesson.' Still, she couldn't give up. She couldn't let him become the master he had described.

But if she didn't, would she get more of the 'obedience lessons?' Alex didn't want to admit it, but she was terrified. She was terrified of what he was going to do to make her pay for her sins.

Alex shifted uncomfortably. The collar was heavy; it was weighing her down. She couldn't move far, however, before it would start to tug at her neck, cutting off her supply of oxygen. Alex was playing a constant balance game. Move too far one way, chain would pull, move back.

She had no idea how long she had been doing this for when she heard the lock turn again. He walked into the room, with what looked like a dog bowl in each hand. He turned the light back on again, and Alex saw that he was in fact holding two dog bowls. Each had the word _animal _written in big block letters on it. She couldn't tell what was in either. He approached her, and held one of the bowls forward.

"I brought you water," he said laughingly. "And food as well," he said, holding the other bowl forward. Alex looked at the bowl, her stomach rumbling, but turned her head away in disgust.

"You don't like your meal, animal? It's scraps from my dinner last night, like animals should have. See? I've got some fat from the roast, the potato skins, and I topped it in gravy. It's a feast." He held a piece of the gravy-covered food out to her, pushing it near her mouth. "Eat up, animal."

Alex turned her head away from it, completely disgusted.

"You don't like your dinner? You can starve then. I won't be nice and give you food anymore."

"That's not food," she spat. "That's rubbish."

"Animals should be seen and not heard," he said, his eyes getting the glint in them again. Alex felt the fear start curling in her stomach again. He left the room, only to return a few moments later with his roll of duct tape. He pulled off a strip and put it on her mouth.

"Enjoy yourself, animal," he said, his voice laughing once more.

The door swung shut behind him, but she heard no lock turn this time. Alex struggled uselessly against her handcuffs. She was really uncomfortable, and was longing to sit down. She had no idea how long she had been standing in the dark room for.

Alex stood for what seemed like hours, longing to sleep. Every time she started dozing, however, her head would fall forward, and she'd snap back to consciousness. As lack of sleep plagued her along with the hunger her though processes changed.

What if she were to listen to him? It had to be better than this, didn't it? Surely he wouldn't do anything terrible if she just listened to him. She hadn't been tied up until she had attacked him. If she hadn't have tried to attack him the first time, none of this would have happened. She'd still be free to walk around the room, to sit and stand as she pleased. And maybe, he'd give her food that she could actually digest.

No. She couldn't think like that. She couldn't let him break her. She had to stay strong. She had always fought and won, how was now any different? She pictured Gene in her head.

"_Fight the bastard, Bolly," Gene said. "Don't let him get to you. You're strong."_

"_Are you paying me a compliment Gene?" she asked._

"_Just shut up and listen to me Bolly. Don't let him break you." He was staring straight at her, his silver blue eyes shining with concern. You're stronger than him."_

_Suddenly the woman walked up to him. "False hope never works Gene. In fact, if you were a doctor, no patient would trust you."_

"_Well it's a bloody good thing I'm a DCI then, isn't it?" he asked in a mock angry voice. _

"_It's a very good thing," she replied. He was now staring at her like she was the only thing in the world. "Otherwise I'd have never met you."_

"_And where would we be then?"_

"_Lost, lonely and bored?"_

_The woman laughed. "I think you're right, Gene."_

The door slammed open, startling Alex out of her reverie. She felt even more miserable than she had before. Who was the woman Gene was with? She felt a stab of jealousy towards the woman, wishing she could be her.

The man entered the room, and stared at her. Alex stared straight back at him, unable to move or speak.

"Now," he asked slightly menacingly, but laughingly. "Have you decided? Are you going to be a good animal, or a naughty one?"

~(*)~

Three 'obedience lessons' and what felt like several days later, Alex was exhausted and starving. The tape was still over her mouth, and she had not sat down since her first 'obedience lesson.' She was mentally exhausted as well. The worry about being found had diminished, and the fear of the man was all she knew.

The lock clicked, and the door opened. The man walked in to the room, the bowls of food and water in his hand. He set them down on the floor, and removed the tape from her mouth. Alex did not move, just stared dully as he stood in her field of vision.

"I brought you food," he said kindly. Alex almost laughed. What kind of food did he bring? The gristle from a piece of meat? The core of an apple? The man picked up the bowl, and she caught a whiff of something that smelled delicious. Alex looked in the bowl. Sitting in the middle was a giant meatball.

"I had Italian last night, and didn't want this. I thought you might. You've been better since you've started the obedience lessons," he said, causing Alex to shudder in thought of the fear, pain and hopelessness the 'obedience lessons' caused. "I even heated it up." He pulled it out of the bowl, and held it up to her face, his eyes glinting laughingly.

Alex considered eating it. She had not eaten since she was brought here, and she had no idea how long that was. It smelled very good as well. On the other hand, she would be submitting herself, eating out of his hand. But if she didn't, would she get another 'obedience lesson?' Resigning herself, hating herself, she took a bite.

"Good animal," the man said smugly. Alex knew what had just happened. He had won.

**....to be continued.**


	6. Carmine

**Woah. You guys are amazing. I honestly CANNOT believe the response to this. THANK YOU to all who read, fav, add to story alerts, and to those who take the time to review! A massive thank you to Blue-Jackal, without whom, this story would not be half as evil. (or exist actually... since she gave me the idea for it as well...)  
**

**Chapter 6: Carmine**

Gene stared angrily at CID. It had been almost two weeks since Drake's disappearance, and they had already gone on with their lives. They didn't even stop to consider the case. Alex's desk still stood vacant, and CID had been abnormally quiet over the past few weeks. Gene had not had a proper argument since the day she had disappeared, and found that he was now longing for it.

Only Shaz was working hard on the case, trying to figure out where Alex had gone. The rest were busy chatting with their feet up on their desks laughing about some joke. He knew that they hadn't had a lead since Shaz had come back, and they had lost hope. This still made Gene mad. He had to save Alex. He was the Manc Lion. He was everywhere. Everywhere, it seemed, but where Alex was right now.

They had halfway expected Alex to be released the day after Shaz. No one was clear why she was released so quickly, not even Shaz herself. She had come back the day after, well rested and ready to work on the case. The only upside to her being kidnapped seemed to be that her and Chris were back together. They had been inseparable since, and Gene hoped that if he got Alex back they could be the same way.

"_No," _Gene corrected himself. _"When we get her back." _Because they would get her back. They would find her. He promised himself that. He exited his office, and CID instantly quieted.

He stared at every one of them in turn before starting to speak. "I understand that we have no leads on this case. But the fact of the matter is that there is a police officer missing. One of us. A sister. And the fact that you lot are sitting here on your arses talking about the weather...Well...if I disappeared, I know I wouldn't want my CID on the case now would I?"

"I wouldn't," Keats's voice interrupted. "Lazy layabouts the lot of them."

"What do you want, James?"

"Well, I was coming in to see how the search of DI Drake was going. I've just gotten my answer. They aren't even trying?"

"Go into my office, Jimbo. We'll talk there." Keats just smiled, sticking his hands into his pockets and walked into Gene's office.

"Right. I want to see this CID working when I get done dealing with dick head, got it?"

CID nodded. Shaz's phone rang, and she picked it up, muttering the characteristic "CID" into the receiver. Gene paid no attention to it until he heard her next sentence. "Ma'am? Ma'am is that you?"

Gene rushed over to the phone and leaned in to hear what was going on. It was all he could do to not rip the phone out of her hands and start screaming down the line.

"_Shaz," _came her voice. Gene was horrified at how weak and tired she sounded. _"Can you put Hunt on?"_

Hunt? She called him Hunt. Gene reminded himself that the person who had taken her was probably sitting with her. Shaz handed him the phone.

"Bolly. What's going on? Where are you?" Instantly CID quieted down, everyone listening intently to what Gene was saying. Even Keats came out of Gene's office to listen in.

"_Gene?"_

"Yes, Bolly it's me. Where are you?"

"_Dunno."_ Her voice was quiet and hoarse, like she hadn't used it in a while.

"Are you okay?" He was desperate to find out more, just keeping her on the line to hear her voice.

"_I'm fine,"_ she said dully. _"Never better."_ Gene tried to ignore the fact that she did not sound fine at all.

"We're trying to find you, Bolls. We'll get you back."

"_I don't want to be found,"_ she responded immediately. _"I like it here."_

"Excuse me if I don't believe you Alex. You don't sound like you like it."

"_He's a nice master,"_ she said. _"I like it with him."_

"Bolly, what are you on about?" he yelled into the phone. "He's not your master! Don't let him break you!"

"_It's too late," _her voice said softly. _"Don't try to look for me. I'm happy. I don't want to go back."_

"Alex..." he started.

"_He's bringing me a friend soon. He told me that."_ She sounded like a child, albeit a tired, worn out one. However, he noted a slight happiness in her voice when she mentioned him bringing her a friend. She had to be lonely.

"Who's he bringing Alex? What are you on about?"

"_I've got to go, Gene,"_ she said hurriedly, and the other end went dead before he could say another word. Before it did, however, Gene was sure he heard two words spoken in a male voice. _Good animal._

Gene stared at the phone before throwing it across the room, swearing loudly.

"Guv, what's going on?" Ray asked.

"Something's wrong with her. She called the person who she's with her master."

"D'you think she's been brainwashed?"

"It looks like it might be a possibility," Gene answered honestly. "I hate to deal with someone who could break Drake in two weeks. God only knows what he's done to her."

CID nodded. Alex was the strongest of the lot besides the Guv. If the man had broken her in just two weeks, he had to have done something terrible.

Gene stared as CID started working again, their resolve renewed. All the while, Alex was in the back of his mind.

"_He's a nice master. I like it with him." _

There were several possibilities for that statement. One was that he told her what she was supposed to say. The second was that she was obeying him to get what she wanted, like she had done with him too many times to count. And there was the third possibility. The possibility that she believed it all.

And what was she talking about with him bringing her a friend? Was he going to kidnap another person? And how soon would it be? Gene rubbed the bridge of his nose. She had certainly left him with more questions than answers.

"Gene," Keats called from the office. Gene looked up at him, and walked into the office, sitting at his desk.

"What do you want, Keats?" he asked angrily, trying to dispel the sorrow that had built up in his gut from Alex's words.

"What did Alex say?"

"What's it to you?"

"It's important for others to know what she said, Gene. You don't solve cases by yourself. You get input from your co-workers, and you all work together to solve it."

Gene sighed. Keats was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Gene walked back out into the office, commanding the attention of CID once more. "Drake said that he's bringing her a friend soon. Keep an eye out over the next few days for disappearances. Anything that could be related. If the person's drugged to be taken, or if the flat was broken into. Shaz, I want you to look through the religious nutters that we've put away over the past few years. See which ones got short enough sentences to be able to do this to Drake. Check to see if any of them have form at all."

Shaz nodded. Ray had written down everything Gene had said on the board. Chris however was putting the phone down.

"May I ask what is so important, Christopher, that you weren't listening to me?" Gene snapped.

"Sorry, Guv. One of my snouts wants to meet me today," Chris replied timidly.

"What about?" Gene asked dangerously.

"The drugs ring we've been trying to crack." The drugs case. Gene had almost forgotten about the drugs case. All the worry about Alex had put it out of his mind. When they were together, Alex had chided him for thinking about cases incessantly when he was off.

"_A little bit is okay, but you've got to put it aside and think of something else at some point."_

He tried to do that when they were together, but as soon as she had disappeared; her case was on his mind all the time. _She_ was on his mind. Was she getting fed? When he was lying in his comfortable warm bed at night, where was she sleeping? Did she sleep on a cold concrete floor? Did he give her something to lie on?

"You can't put everything off for this one case, Gene," Keats interjected annoyingly. "You should keep other cases open as well."

"Keats? My department? My say-so. And as I was _going _to say, Chris, what time does he want to meet you?"

"Three o'clock on Christian Street."

"Fine. You can leave at two-thirty, and you have to be back by four, do you understand?"

"Yes, Guv."

"Good." Gene stood straight, surveying his now busy CID. Satisfied, he walked back into his office. Keats was still standing in there, much to his annoyance.

"What do you want, Jim?"

"How do you know the person's religious?"

"Because," Gene said, exasperated, "when Shaz came back, she told us all about it."

"Oh?" Keats questioned, disbelief in his voice. Gene suppressed the urge to wring his hands around Keats's ugly little neck.

"Yes. And I class anyone starving someone as a punishment for their sins as a religious nutter."

"You're too prejudiced Gene."

"Just get out, Jim. You're not helping this operation at all. You finished your report, why are you still here?"

"Good luck on _your _case, Gene. I hope to God you can find her, but with your CID looking, I'm not too confident." With a smirk, he left the room, leaving Gene seething behind him. Gene kicked the rubbish bin, but this happened so frequently CID didn't even look up, continuing to pore over the files.

He would find Alex. He would make sure of it. She would be found soon. The bastard had hurt her already, and Gene would find him before he could inflict anymore damage on Alex. Gene would then do something he'd never do. He'd apologise to Alex. He'd apologise for being a bastard, for leaving her behind, for what she had to go through.

And then he'd suffer though whatever she had to say to him. If she told him that she didn't want to ever see him again, he'd understand. He had let her down. By leaving her at the crime scene, he had let her down.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Chris standing in his doorway, looking slightly nervous.

"I'm leaving Guv," Chris said.

"Okay, Chris. Be back by four or your knackers will be in a vice. Do you understand?"

"Yes Guv."

"Good. Mush."

Chris nodded and left, leaving Gene in his thoughts once more. He pulled out his scotch a poured a large measure, downing it in one.

They would find Alex. He knew it.

~(*)~

A knock at the door roused Gene from his thoughts. He looked up to see Shaz at the door.

"Come in."

Shaz entered, looking worried, and holding onto a radio as if it were her life.

"What's going on Shaz?"

"It's gone five, Guv. Chris isn't back yet, and he's not responding to his radio." Gene swore, and grabbed the radio.

"Oi. Chris. Answer me."

He released the button, but there was no answer. Gene swore again. "Alright. I'm gonna go to Christian Street and look for him there."

Gene put on his driving gloves and walked out of the office, nodding to Ray. "Ray, get to the Quattro."

Ray nodded and followed Gene out to the Quattro. Gene raced to Christian Street, finding the unmarked car Chris had taken quickly. It was empty. Ray started walking down the street, looking for any signs of him.

"Guv," he called, holding up an object. It was Chris's police radio. Gene looked back into the car. A note was laying on the driver's seat. Gene opened the car and pulled it out. His stomach jumped. It was Alex's handwriting.

Ray was at his shoulder. "What does it say Guv?"

"_The guilty must pay for their sins."_

Suddenly the 'friend' Alex had talked about earlier made sense. The man who had kidnapped her had kidnapped Chris as well. And if the man could break Alex in just a few weeks, God only knew what would happen to Chris.

**.....to be continued**


	7. Midnight

**I know I say this EVERY single chapter, but I continue to be AMAZED at the reaction to this! Its thanks to your response that I can write and upload so quickly, so thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favourited and alerted! Another thanks to Blue-Jackal, without whom, this fic would not be half as evil! (Yes...blame her this time! :P) **

**Also a note: I own none of the material. All characters belong to Monastic, Kudos, and BBC. (Lucky b******s!)  
**

**Chapter 7: Midnight**

_It was her safety. It was her protection. It was her shield against the world that had turned against her so suddenly. She held onto it for dear life. If it was taken away, she'd be lost. She couldn't risk losing her protection. Her constant had already been taken away from her. She knew he wouldn't remove the protection. He only did that before an obedience lesson. It was why she had become so attached to it. With the collar on, she was safe. As soon as it was removed, she was vulnerable. She knew that her thinking was skewed, but she didn't care. The collar and the chain were her only safety against the evil that he wrought against her in God's name. _

_She only hoped it never came off. _

_~(*)~_

Alex sat against the wall, staring at her feet. She could get up and move if she wanted to. He had given her back the privilege of the long chain some time ago. However, after he had adjusted the length, he had come back with another collar and a chain that was as short as hers had been before. He fixed this to the wall, and looked at her.

"If you misbehave, animal, you get to go back to the short chain again. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded and the man left the room. She had only seen him a few times since when he returned to give her food. She had eaten from his hand quietly, full of hatred for herself and for him, until he had moved her hands to the front. She had tried to fight back again, her last ditch effort, but that had only resulted in another 'obedience lesson' and being put back in the collar with the short chain again.

Since that day, she had not moved unless he had instructed her to. She had done nothing to defy him. She knew that he had broken her like a dog. Through sheer force and instillation of fear, he had made her obedient to his will, no matter how much she hated herself for it. However, her obedience had resulted in her going back to the longer chain and the removal from the handcuffs around her wrists.

The door opened, and the man came into the room. He removed the collar from her neck, causing waves of panic to roll through her body. She had done nothing against him! However, he fitted her with a dog collar and a lead instantly, and the panic subsided a little.

"C'mon, animal. We're going to talk to someone."

Talk to someone? Like who? Someone as messed up as he was? He pulled her out of her room and into a bright sitting room. Alex blinked. The sun was shining in brightly. It was the first time she had seen the sun since the day she had been kidnapped. The day when she had tried to run, it was just dawn and it was cloudy. He sat her down on the sofa, which felt uncomfortably soft after the hard wood she had sat on for so long.

"I'm bringing you a friend," he said gently. "Will that cheer you up, animal?"

Alex looked up, disconcerted. However, she said nothing in response.

"You can respond. What do you think of the idea of having a friend?"

What did she think? It meant someone else would be kidnapped just to keep her company. She hated the idea.

"When?" Her voice was hoarse from lack of use.

"Soon," there was a smile in his voice as he talked to her kindly. Almost as if he had grown...affectionate.

"You're going to ring CID," he told her. "You aren't to tell them where you are, or I'll be very unhappy." Alex shuddered. She knew what unhappy meant. It meant a 'lesson' and then a punishment.

"Dial the CID number. Ask for Hunt. You are to tell him you're fine, and you don't want to be found. You can tell him about the friend I'm bringing you, but that's it. Do you understand?"

Alex merely nodded. His eyes crinkled underneath the balaclava, and he grabbed the phone. Alex reached out hesitantly, grabbing the receiver. She couldn't believe he was letting her talk to Gene. The other end picked up.

"_CID," _Shaz's voice answered in the typical CID greeting.

"Shaz?" He looked at her, watching carefully.

"_Ma'am? Ma'am is that you?"_

"Shaz, can you put Hunt on?"

"_Bolly. What's going on? Where are you?"_ Gene's voice was there immediately, and she felt a warmth spread through her belly. She had not realised how much she missed him.

"Gene?"

"_Yes, Bolly it's me. Where are you?" _Alex's stomach jumped, but she answered just as the man had told her to.

"Dunno."

"_Are you okay?" _He sounded worried, she realised suddenly. Gene Hunt was _worried_ about her. Instantly guilt started to curl in her stomach.

"I'm fine. Never better." She tried to sound happy, but she couldn't. She was worn out.

"_We're trying to find you, Bolls. We'll get you back."_

"I don't want to be found. I like it here." She added in the second sentence to make him happier with her. Then maybe he would leave her alone. Maybe he'd give her something to eat with, instead of making her use her hands.

"_Excuse me if I don't believe you Alex. You don't sound like you like it."_

"He's a nice master. I like it with him." Alex was cringing inwardly as she said this, but the man next to her brightened and sat straighter.

"_Bolly, what are you on about?" _She jumped as his voice yelled down the phone. He sounded angry and desperate._ "He's not your master! Don't let him break you!" _

Alex smiled a bitter smile. "It's too late. Don't try to look for me. I'm happy. I don't want to go back."

"_Alex..."_ he started.

"He's bringing me a friend soon. He told me that." She had to warn him before the man made her stop talking.

"_Who's he bringing Alex? What are you on about?" _The man motioned to her to put the phone back onto the cradle.

"I've got to go, Gene." She put the phone down.

"Good animal," the man said. He patted her on the head like a good girl. "Now you're doing one more thing."

The man gave her a pen and a piece of paper. "I want you to write this sentence on there." He dictated what he wanted written, and Alex wrote it out on the paper. When she was done, he took her back to her room, her prison. He removed the lead and leather collar and replaced it with the iron one.

Alex reached up as it clinked shut around her neck, the relief of the safety it provided enveloping her. His hands took her wrists and pulled them away from the collar.

"You need to stop playing with your collar, animal," he said dangerously. Alex snapped her hands down by her sides.

He stepped away and looked at her. "I'm going out. You've been very good," he said happily. "Do you want anything within reason? You can answer the question," he permitted.

Alex knew the one thing she wanted. It was the thing that he could give her to restore a shred of dignity. "A fork?" she asked hopefully.

He looked at her and laughed as though her request was one of the funniest things he had ever heard. "Animals don't use forks," he said before leaving the room, the lock turning in place behind him.

~(*)~

Alex had no idea how long she had sat in the silence. She never did. She had no way to tell time, her watch was lying on a table at her flat. Not that it really mattered anyway. All it would do is tick away minutes, hours, days of her life, stuck in the prison, connected to the chain she had come to love.

She lay on the floor, staring at the inky blackness of the ceiling above her. She had nothing to do but think. Think about Chris and Ray. Think about Shaz, how the woman had almost become like a younger sister to her. Think about Gene. She spent a great amount of time thinking about Gene. Wishing she had never told him to get out of her flat. Hoping that he would find her.

But she was giving up hope.

Would today's phone call renew their search? Or would it end it? Alex sincerely hoped the former, but the pessimist in her suspected the latter. Gene would never find her, and she'd be left with this man, forever staying obedient for fear of another obedience lesson.

The outside door opened with a bang, and Alex sat up quickly. Seconds later, she heard the door unlocking, and it opened to reveal the man who had kidnapped her holding another man, who was struggling violently. The man who had kidnapped her - Alex refused to think of him as the master he described himself as - punched the other man in the kidney and the second man fell to the floor, panting.

The man who had kidnapped her removed the handcuffs from the second man and looked up at her. "I brought you a friend," he said smilingly before switching the light on and leaving the room.

Alex blinked in the bright light, temporarily blinded.

"Ma'am?" she heard a voice ask in disbelief.

"Chris?" Alex couldn't believe it. Maybe she could get answers now. "How long have I been missing?"

"Two weeks. We half expected you to come back right away after Shaz came back. She said she'd seen you."

"Shaz? She's alive?"

"Yeah."

"But he..." Alex couldn't speak. She was overwhelmed in a mixture of sorrow and delight. Shaz wasn't dead, but she had been here for two weeks.

"Guv's worried sick about you. He's hardly let us sleep."

"Chris I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, ma'am," Chris replied brightly. "It would have been the same with any other officer. You know that as well as I do."

Alex nodded. She did know that.

The lock turned again, and the man entered the room, the bowls of food and water in his hands. "Dinner time. You aren't to share any, do you understand? Otherwise I'll be angry." Alex nodded.

The man smiled and patted her on the head. Alex put her arms over her legs, and her head on her arms, ashamed that Chris had to see her like that.

"Does he always do that ma'am?"

"Yes," Alex admitted, humiliated. "And I'm not eating if you can't, Chris."

"Nah, it's fine. I had something about half an hour before he got me. Go ahead."

Alex looked down at what was in the bowl. It was pasta. Of course he'd choose something messy for her to eat in front of Chris. All the more humiliating.

"What'd he give you, ma'am?" Chris asked.

"Pasta," she said quietly.

"Difficult to eat with your hands," he said.

"I know. But what choice do I have?" she asked bitterly. "He treats me like an animal. So this is what I get."

Chris reached into his jacket. "Don't laugh at me Ma'am. Remember that night when Gil Hollis shot out the window in Luigi's?"

Alex nodded. She had been so afraid she was going to lose Gene at that point, and then later, afraid for Shaz.

"Well, I didn't have a gun...so I grabbed...this to protect myself," he said, pulling something out of his jacket.

Alex nearly laughed. "A fork? You've carried a fork around with you for two years?"

"Well, yeah," he muttered. "I kept forgetting it was in there! I always meant to return it. But maybe I kept it so you could use it now. "

He handed it to her, and Alex looked at him, amused. "You're sure you don't mind if I eat in front of you?"

"Nah. Go ahead ma'am."

Alex ate, savouring the ability for the first time in weeks to be able to feel at least slightly human. She finished, and quickly found a place to hide the fork. She knew that the man would be angry if he knew she had it. She went back to the spot where she had sat, picking up the water bowl, and drinking deeply. Chris watched her, seeming to want to say something.

"What's going on Chris?"

"On the phone earlier. Did you mean what you said?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Just...cause you act like you don't mind this at all. Like you don't care about eating out of a dog bowl, or him patting you on the head, like a pet."

Alex felt tears welling up in her eyes. She _did _mind. She hated this. Alex opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the door slammed open. The man stood in the doorway, the complacency in his eyes turning to fierce anger when he looked at her.

"You've upset her!" he yelled at Chris. "You've upset my animal!"

"You've been doing that for weeks," said Chris, getting to his feet.

"She's paying for his sins, just like you must do!" He grabbed Chris's jacket, and threw Chris across the room. Alex stared in horror as the man started to beat Chris and she called out before she could stop herself.

"NO! Please, stop it!" The man stopped suddenly, looking up at her with an evil glint in her eyes.

"Did I just hear you speak? Did I give you permission to speak?"

Alex shook her head no, and looked down, afraid of what was going to happen next. He knelt next to her, leaning his head toward her ear. "Next time, you _will _get an obedience lesson." He put her wrists together and handcuffed her, only this time, he put her hands in front of her torso instead of behind.

He stood over her, staring angrily at her. "Answer me this. Who am I?"

Alex looked down, hating herself. "My master."

"Who do you listen to?"

"You."

"Do you argue with me?"

"No."

"Do animals speak when not permitted to speak?"

"No."

"Good." The man left the room, coming back with the roll of duct tape, putting a strip over her mouth. He then went back to Chris, who had recovered slightly and was watching the interchange with a mix of horror and disgust.

Alex winced as Chris cried out in pain as the man started attacking him again. She had to watch, and she couldn't do anything. She was helpless.

The man finished some time later, leaving Chris bruised and bleeding. He went back to Alex and removed the tape from her mouth, squatting down to look at her in the eyes.

"You defied me today. You're keeping the handcuffs on. Be thankful it isn't more." He stood and exited the room, leaving it in silence, except for Chris's heavy gasps and her own quiet sobs.

~(*)~

"Ma'am?" Chris asked some time later. It had been silent since the man had left the room.

"Yes Chris?" she answered quietly, worn out.

"You never answered my question earlier. When you say those things to him, like calling him master, do you believe it?"

"No," she admitted. "But I do it to survive, Chris. That way, I have at least some chance of getting out of this shithole."

"You know, I could take that collar off, even for a bit. I've got summat in my pocket to pick the lock with."

Alex stumbled backwards in shock at the idea. Chris was already reaching into his pocket. He pulled something out, and was reaching toward her neck. Alex screamed and pushed him off, moving her hands up to the collar to make sure it was still locked in place around her neck.

Her safety. Her protection.

The door slammed open, and the man stared at her, fire in his eyes. "You spoke, and you're playing with your collar. You know what that means, Animal. You disobeyed me."

Alex backed against the wall, knowing what would come next. The worst part was that Chris would watch, and there was nothing she could do about it. She was powerless.

**...to be continued.  
**


	8. Claret

**I STILL can't believe the response to this! It's utterly shocking! Thank you ALL for reading, reviewing, adding to your story alerts and favouriting! When I open my inbox, it's like Christmas! Thanks to Blue-Jackal, for our nearly daily discussions of plot and how far to take certain elements. And also thank you to Ferndavant, who beta'd this chap (mostly to read it early... but is still brilliant) Anyway! Chapter 8!**

**Chapter 8: Claret**

Gene stared angrily at the whiteboard. Keats was breathing down his neck now. Two officers were currently missing, and this was the third that had gone missing in two weeks. After what Bolly had said on the phone the day before, he knew he should have been expecting this. Shaz was worried, but instead of breaking down like Chris had, she had fuelled all of her worry into trying to find Chris.

There had been nothing, though. They had scoured Christian Street, but they had not found a single witness. Gene turned to look into his office. Keats was sitting in his seat, blowing smoke calmly in the air. He didn't even seem concerned about the disappearance of two officers. He had sat calmly through all their discussions about it, always seeming amused when they offered suggestions or thoughts.

Gene looked at him. He was religious. Could he possibly...no. He couldn't. Unless, of course, he had someone else doing his dirty work. Someone else to watch Alex. To kidnap the people. But what if he was the brains of it all? What if he had planned this all out? Would that be why he was so unconcerned about the case? Because he knew they were nowhere close to cracking it?

Keats smiled at him through the office window. Of course, he may be unconcerned because he was finding something to bring them down with. Gene could see it on a report now. "Unable to find his own officer, even after being rung by her."

Alex hadn't been very willing to give out information, though. The conversation had been brief. Still, every word she had said ran through his head.

"_He's a nice master. I like him." _

Gene shuddered at the thought of her calling anyone 'master.' Alex called no one master. She'd knee someone in the bollocks for even suggesting that she call them master. So why was she calling this man master? What had he done to her to make her do something so unlike her?

Gene was almost afraid to find her. What state would she be in? Would she blame him for this? Would she even be alive? He knew that, as of yesterday, she was.

Gene looked at the clock. Gone midnight. So now that made the phone conversation two days ago. He hoped fervently she would be fine; otherwise he'd never stop blaming himself. He walked from CID into his office.

Keats just grinned when he walked in. "Have any luck?"

"You shouldn't be smiling like that. She's a fellow police officer, and the only one who likes you in this station."

Keats' grin just widened. "I don't need friends in a station that's going to fall. It's regrettable about Alex, yes. She could have done great things."

"She _will _do great things," Gene growled. "She's not dead."

Keats looked at him, the grin still on his face, eyebrows raised. "Yet."

Gene nearly punched him. He stopped, though. A suspension from the Super was not something he needed right now.

"And how do you know the state of Alex right now, Keats? Got inside information?"

"If I had inside information, one would think I would share it, wouldn't they?" he said superiorly.

"_One would,_ unless you were in on it."

Keats started laughing. He doubled over, dropping his fag in the process. "You think I'm involved in the kidnapping of DI Drake? You really _are _grasping at straws, Gene! So when am I going to find the evidence against me that I kidnapped her? How soon will you fit me up? You've got to find her first, don't you? Or Chris. Have you even thought about him?" Keats tutted, "It's not healthy to have an obsession over a fellow police officer, Gene."

"I'm not obsessed over her!" Gene replied vehemently. "She's my DI! Excuse me while I care! I know that's something you rubber heelers don't do too often, right? Trust your own? Care for them? But here, in the _real_ police force, you have to trust and care for your partner, otherwise, you'll both end up dead! And that doesn't look good on anyone's file, does it?"

Keats merely smiled. "I didn't ask about how much you cared for DI Drake. I asked if you were even thinking about your other police officer. DC Skelton? Remember him?"

"Of course I do, you bastard. And _yes, _I am just as concerned about Chris as I am Alex."

"Start showing it then," Keats hissed as he stormed out of the office.

Gene glared behind him, but didn't move. Why was he in such a bother about Chris? Why didn't he care about Alex at all? And _why_ did he say that she wasn't dead _yet?_ Gene felt suspicion rising in his stomach. Keats was acting weird, and Gene didn't like it when people acted weird. He'd get to the bottom of this.

~(*)~

Gene looked at the clock. It was half six. He must have fallen asleep at some point. He looked out his window. The night was changing over into day, the stars just starting to disappear. Too late to go home, but too early to be here. Gene loved and hated days like this. On the one hand, he loved the stillness before the flurry of activity descended on CID. The silence. No phones ringing, no constant chatter.

On the other hand, this was the time he hated the most. This was the time when he felt his loneliest. He had no one to be with at this hour, except for those few sacred months when he and Alex were together. When he woke at this time, she would wake with him, and lull him back to sleep, or make him forget his loneliness.

But now she was missing, and she couldn't help him. Gene still worried about the conversation he had had with her two days previously. She had sounded as worn out as a prozzie's knickers.

_Of course she's worn out, Hunt_, Gene thought to himself._ She's being held against her will by a religious nutter who she calls her master._

Her master. Those two words rang in his head. Those two words made him wonder whether she was just saying what he wanted her to or whether she actually believed it.

A loud banging in CID made him start and turn around. He walked straight to his door, opening it and pulling the haggard, stumbling man into his office.

"Chris, bloody hell! Are you alright?"

Chris looked up at him, his face a mess of bruises. One eye was swollen shut, and it looked like a tooth or two had been knocked out.

"I'm fine, Guv," Chris responded, grimacing.

"I'm getting the doctor to check you out when he gets here," Gene told him sternly. "What happened?"

"One of my snouts called me the other day," Chris started. "I went to where he said to meet. It was in one of the alleys on the street. I stood there, waiting, and a man came out from behind a skip, with a gun. He stuck it into my back and told me to get into his van quietly, or otherwise he'd shoot me. He took my handcuffs and cuffed me and then stuck me in the back of the van. He took me to some flat. I've no clue where, but it's where he's holding Drake. He left us alone for a bit, but then he came back in and beat me. Then he left us alone again and..." Chris coughed and shifted uncomfortably. "Then this morning, he comes in, takes me out to his van, and throws me out on Christian Street again. He told me I'd paid for my sins. I came straight here."

"How was Alex?" Gene asked, concerned.

"Not good, Guv. He's done something to her. She doesn't believe most of what she tells him, like that he's her master and such. She hates saying it. But...she's in a collar. Hooked up to the wall. She went mad when I even suggested taking it off. She screamed at me."

"She's in a collar?" Gene asked in disbelief.

"The man calls her Animal. He treats her like one, too. He gives her food in dog bowls. He pats her on the head if she's good, and if she's not, she says she gets an 'obedience lesson.'"

Gene was open mouthed at the words Chris was saying. He couldn't imagine Bolly that way, being subjected to that.

"I'm not sure what the obedience lessons are. She wouldn't elaborate. She nearly got one though. When I tried to remove her collar, she screamed and started holding onto it. The man came in, extremely angry and told her that she disobeyed him. Then he said that she knew what that meant. She looked terrified, so I said that I had made her do that. That earned me an extra beating, but he left her alone after that. She refused to let go of the chain after he left, and she didn't talk much at all either. She just whispered her thanks, and that was it."

Gene sat down in his chair in disbelief. Alex, his strong, uncontrollable, fierce Alex, had been broken down like a dog.

"She's terrified of him, Guv. She says it's just survival, but I think that she's terrified."

Gene nodded, resting his head in his hands. "You have no idea where you were?" he questioned.

"Not a clue. He blindfolded me before I got out of the van, and before I went down there this morning. The flat is four flights up though."

Gene sighed. Great. Now all they had to do was check every flat building in the City of London! Chris was grimacing, and Gene suddenly remembered what happened to him.

"Doc'll be in in about half an hour. Do you think you can stand that?"

Chris nodded, reaching into his pocket and producing a packet of cigarettes. He gave one to Gene, and they both smoked in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

~(*)~

"Chris!" Shaz's shriek of delight made both men jump.

Chris grimaced in pain and tried to stand to greet her, but she was in the office before he could.

"Baby, what happened?" she asked as soon as she saw his face.

"Bastard beat me," he muttered.

"Oh, poor baby!" she said softly, looking at him in worry.

"Stopped him from getting Drake," he muttered mostly to himself. "Had to protect her."

Gene tried to ignore his mutterings. It meant that Alex was being hurt, while he couldn't do anything to stop it. He _had_ to find Alex. After hearing what Chris had said, his resolve had increased, if that was even possible. Gene knew that his nights would be sleepless until the time Alex returned. Because she would return. He knew she would. He had to save her. He was the Manc Lion. He was everywhere. Bolly needed him now, and he would be there, just like he had been there for the little Price girl. When her parents had been blown up, he was the protection from the fear and the pain it had caused her, at least for a while. Gene hoped he could be that to Bolly. The only problem now was finding her. Chris had narrowed the search a little bit, but there were still too many flat buildings in this city to search all of them.

There was a knock at the door and Gene was snapped out of his reverie. He looked up to see the station doctor standing outside the door. Gene nodded him in, and at that moment, his phone rang. He picked it up, stomach in knots, hoping that it would be Alex either telling him where she was or telling him enough so that he could figure out where she was himself so that he could rescue her. It was neither, though.

Gene shoved the phone down and stepped out into CID. It had filled up since the doctor had come in. Gene looked back to his office. The blinds were drawn so the doctor could give Chris a more private exam.

"Right," Gene said. "If it already hasn't made its way around the office yet, DC Christopher Skelton was released this morning. He's in my office now."

Ray, who was smoking with his feet up on his desk, stood immediately to make his way over to Gene's door.

"_However," _Gene said, giving Ray a look that immediately made him sit down. "There's a blag going on down Finsbury Avenue. Hostage situation. Lovely. C'mon."

~(*)~

The Quattro screeched to a halt in front of the bank. Ray and Poirot were out immediately, guns pointed at the building. Gene approached the door, his hands raised, remembering how Sam and Alex used to act during hostage scenarios.

"My name is DCI Gene Hunt," he said, feeling like a fool. "This goes at your pace. We want everyone out alive. What can we do to get you to release the hostages?"

"Clear everyone out of the back!" one of the men yelled. "Otherwise we'll shoot. And no one following our van on the way out!"

Gene nodded. "DI Carling. Would you kindly ask everyone positioned in the back of the bank to come round to the front?"

Ray nodded and disappeared. Soon, Gene's radio crackled to life. _"Everyone's out, Guv."_

"Everyone's out. You can go ahead and go now."

The robbers nodded, and moved down the back of the bank. Gene smiled to himself. They didn't even take a hostage as backup. They weren't the brightest bulbs, that was for sure. Soon enough, he heard the sounds of shouts coming from round the back. Gene and the rest poured into the front of the bank.

"That was a good negotiation," someone said beside him. It was a posh accent, one which made him long for Alex's voice once more. Gene turned and saw a tall brunette standing next to him. She held her hand out.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Elizabeth Jones. Liz for short."

Gene stared at her. She was tall, about the same height as Alex, and her hair was the exact same colour. The difference, however, was in her eyes. They were a deep ocean blue.

"Nice to meet you, too," he responded. "I'm DCI Gene Hunt."

She smiled at him. "Oh, good. A DCI. You'll be able to buy me a drink then. Tonight. The pub on Lackington Street. 8.30."

She grinned and walked off, leaving Gene dumbstruck. She was cheeky. He liked that.

**...to be continued...**


	9. Raven

**Thanks to all of you who read and review and add to your story alerts and favourites! Thanks to Fern my beta for...err...beta-ing...And to Bloo for coming up with some of the ideas in the chapter!**

**Chapter 9: Raven**

He stared at her. She had been quiet ever since he had released her friend. He hoped she would perk up soon. She had actually been doing much better before her friend had arrived. He knew he had knocked the fight out of her. She had stopped fighting after the first few obedience lessons. He didn't like to give them, but it was essential that he did.

He was purifying her. He was cleansing her of her sins. She didn't understand it, yet, but he knew she would eventually. He'd make her understand. All animals were trained eventually, and she would be no different. He'd train her to be how women should be. Quiet, calm, collected. They shouldn't be sleeping around, divorcing, and certainly not trying to prevent other people from being fruitful for God.

Maybe she was starting to understand that. She had told her boss that she liked it here. She was like any animal, he reasoned. They didn't like the punishment part but give them treats and rewards and they didn't mind their masters.

He considered pulling one of the boards off the window. She couldn't go anywhere; she was chained to the wall still. Maybe he could pull one board off and give her just enough light to know if it was day or night.

Ever since her friend had taken her punishment, she had not said anything. She hardly looked up. She only looked up when he told her to. He knew she was reaching her lowest, and soon, she'd change over into his way of thinking. It was only a matter of weeks, he believed, and then she'd repent and he could let her go.

He walked away from the doorway, going to get her food bowl. It was gone six, and she would be hungry. He made sure he fed her at least once at day, sometimes twice. Some days, he'd stand in and watch her. He enjoyed watching her. It gave him pleasure to see her eating. For a while he had been afraid that she wouldn't, that she'd starve herself and her soul would be lost. God had sent him to this earth to save her soul, and he would. He put a bit of potatoes and some meat in her bowl and went back to the room where he held her. Maybe once she came round, he could let her out around the flat. He figured she might enjoy that.

He went back to the doorway, and stopped to stare at her once again. She was sitting complacently in the corner, looking down. She was holding her chain, playing with it, seemingly content with it. He liked the fact that she was happy with her chain. In some way, it made him feel as though she was happy with him. He had given her that chain. She liked his gift. And he knew that, in the end, she'd like the gift he was still in the process of giving her. She would thank him one day for saving her soul.

~(*)~

Alex sat, playing with the chain that fastened her to the wall. Although it made her feel safe, she still hated it. She hated that she was now dependent on the feeling of the collar around her neck, just to make her feel safe. She hated that she had the fight knocked out of her.

She wanted to fight. But she was afraid.

She was afraid of obedience lessons, of being put back onto the short chain as a punishment, of the man who called himself her master. She hated the power he held over her. It was all she could do to not jump up and hit him in the face. But as long as she was chained, she could not do that.

And she didn't want to have her chain taken off.

To take off her chain was to take off her safety, her protection. And just like she never wanted to have her constant removed from her life, she didn't want her safety taken away.

She knew he was watching her. He did that a lot now. He would stand in the doorway silently and watch her. Alex didn't care. She had not had a restful night's sleep since she had come to this place, and she was utterly exhausted. He could watch her all he wanted; in this state she wouldn't, couldn't do anything. She only hated it when he watched her eat. Her fork was hidden underneath a loose floorboard. She couldn't get it out when he watched her eat. Having a fork was against the rules. She was an animal. She wasn't allowed to use utensils.

He was watching her more while she ate now as well. And every time he watched her, she would be humiliated. She was a grown woman, shoving food into her mouth like a child. More than once she considered not eating. But if she didn't eat, would she get an obedience lesson? Alex resolved to not eat the next meal he stayed to watch her eat. She had to know what he would do. It would help her plan to escape this place.

He had left now, leaving the doorway open. From the bit of the flat she could see, it was still daylight. Not that that meant much. She supposed that not knowing day from night actually helped. That way, she didn't know what she was missing, and when she longed to be outside, she couldn't see it the outdoors in front of her, mocking her inability to even move from the room.

Her neck itched, but she ignored it. Alex had kept her hands away from her collar since the day Chris had tried to take it off. She had been so close to getting a 'lesson,' but Chris had jumped in, telling the man that it was his fault.

Chris had gotten another beating, and Alex sat, not watching, saying nothing. She listened to his cries of pain, but did nothing. She knew she couldn't. He would consider that disobedience. Alex never wanted another obedience lesson.

He was standing in the doorway once more, her bowls in his hands. It was time to test her theory. He set them in front of her, and sat in the corner next to her. Alex looked at the food. It looked okay, better than her first meal she'd been given. Her stomach rumbled. Still, she pushed it away, not looking to gauge the man's reaction.

"Are you not hungry today?" he asked. "Or are you just being stubborn? You know how I feel when you're being stubborn."

Alex looked down, trying to stop the tears of self-pity from pouring down her face. She was unsuccessful, however, and she felt the warm liquid trickle down her face.

"You're upset," he said quietly. Alex stiffened as he sat beside her. She went completely rigid as he pulled her into his lap, rubbing her back. It was all she could do not to push his arms away. She knew he'd get mad about that. And she couldn't afford to get him mad.

"You'll be okay, Animal," he said. "Once you can repent, it'll all be much better."

Alex felt the tears starting to flow faster. What was she even supposed to repent for? What had she done?

She became aware that he was rocking her back and forth, a motion that had always lulled her. Alex felt the tears stop as her eyes grew heavy. His arms had provided the first warmth she felt in weeks, and she was finding it difficult to not doze off. She couldn't fall asleep in his arms. It was just _wrong. _This was the man who had tortured her, starved her and even raped her. She had to stay awake.

Eventually, however, her eyes grew too heavy, the exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she slipped blissfully into the land of unconsciousness.

~(*)~

He stared down at her in amazement. He had not expected this. His Animal had fallen asleep in his arms. Even more amazingly, she was sleeping peacefully. Had she really come to like him? Was she comfortable with him now? She had to be, if she was able to fall asleep like this.

He smiled. Maybe this meant that she was closer to repentance than he thought she was. He had waited so long to make her repent. Ever since the first day he had seen her. He knew that he had wanted to be with her when he first met her. But he knew he couldn't be with an animal, a whore like her. She was dressed like a tart, a mockery of what a woman should be. He had felt his hands itch to make her repent. Anyone could see that she must repent. Someone had agreed with him that she was a whore. So that made him plan. Unfortunately, he had been thrown in jail. It stalled his plans. But he knew that a hasty plan was not a good one. So as he waited for his solicitor to work out the case, to prove his innocence, he had plotted. It had taken nearly two years, but eventually, he was proven to be innocent and let go.

As soon as he was out, he knew that he could set his plan into action. He had found a flat immediately, in an abandoned building that was due for demolition. Once he had converted the flat, he took his first CID officer captive. It had not gone as expected, however, as she had been home when he had broken in. His Animal's capture had gone much more smoothly than the capture of the WPC.

He knew that she had hated him at first. He knew that she was angry with him for taking her name from her. But he had to. He had to show her what she truly was. She was a whore, an animal. Only when she was truly ready to change could she get her name back. And that would be when she showed him that she was ready to repent.

He looked down at the sleeping figure in his arms. She was the calmest he had ever seen her, the worry and fear removed from her face. He wondered whether he should take off her handcuffs again. She had been so calm lately. He felt her stir against him. Maybe he'd give her the reward of being able to use her hands. Then maybe she'd be more willing to repent.

He smiled to himself. Only a matter of weeks and Fenchurch East would be completely cleansed, their DI no longer a whore.

~(*)~

_She was wandering, the collar and chain dragging behind her. But she was not chained to the wall. She was safe, but she was free. Alex looked down. Her nightshirt was gone, replaced by a blouse and her favourite pair of skinny jeans. Alex liked the feel of the jeans covering her legs, giving her a privacy she had not felt for so long. She knew she wouldn't wear skirts for a long while after this._

_Alex looked up at the street sign above her and smiled. Christopher Street. She was on the street where her flat was, where CID was. Alex walked down the street and into the police station. It was completely silent as she walked past the desk, people just staring at her. Alex knew that the chain probably threw them all off, but she needed it. _

_She walked into CID. They all looked confused as she wandered in. Why were they confused? Why weren't they happy to see her? She had been gone for so long!_

_Chris was smiling happily, his face still swollen from the beating the man who had kidnapped her had given him. Alex smiled back, until she realised he was smiling at Shaz. _

_She was frustrated. Why was everyone acting as though they had never seen her before? Alex said nothing, wandering towards the back of the office, to where Gene's office was. His blinds were closed, showing that he was talking to someone. Alex knocked quietly on the door, realising she hadn't even looked in a mirror. She studied her reflection in the window. She didn't seem to look bad. She had no makeup on, but he had seen her without makeup before. _

_His voice called for her to enter, and Alex turned the knob, the door swinging open wide. Alex smiled in anticipation of seeing Gene after God only knew how long. She looked in, and her face fell. Sitting on Gene's desk, in HER spot, was the woman. Alex looked, taking the whole scene in. Gene ignored her, looking at the woman on the desk, completely transfixed. Alex felt a stab of jealousy. The woman had brunette hair, and was as tall as she was. Alex couldn't get a clear look at her face, however, as it was turned towards Gene. _

"_Just a moment," Gene said in her direction, glaring at the woman, but still with a soft look in his eyes. "No. No way. There's absolutely no way I'm going to do that."_

_The woman continued to stare at him before uttering one word. "Please?" She said it quietly, perfectly, exactly in the manner Alex herself would have said it to get him to bend. She saw the change in the set of Gene's jaw, and knew that the woman had won. Obviously the woman knew it to, because she leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you!"_

"_Just remember, you owe me!" Gene said playfully. _

"_Of course," the woman replied, smiling._

_Alex had seen enough. She stormed out of the office, not looking at anyone, trying to hold back her tears._

_~(*)~_

The first thing she was aware of was someone's arms holding her tightly. Alex smiled. It had all just been a bad dream. She was in Gene's arms. None of this had ever happened. He had never thrown the record across the room. She had never been kidnapped and never been held hostage with a man who treated her as though she was an animal.

"Gene," she murmured. The person holding her stiffened.

"You're not ready then," said an all too familiar voice angrily. Alex fell to the floor with a thud as the person holding her stood. The man stood over her, his body position angry. "You'll just have to wait a bit longer. But eventually, Animal, you _will_ repent." He picked up her bowls and left the room, slamming the door behind him, lock turning quickly.

Alex felt the chain that still fastened her to the wall and the handcuffs still on her hands. She wasn't free, then. She was still stuck here. And if her dream was true, she'd lost Gene as well. Alex curled up into a ball and cried. There really was no hope, was there?

**...to be continued...**


	10. Merlot

**So...funny story...I was gonna upload yesterday, but thought it was Wednesday! My wonderful beta Ferndavant set me straight...but it was too late for me to post. Anyway... thanks to Bloo for helping me on my plotting sprees, esp. for her ideas for chapter 13! Also to Kimi_Cakes for coming up with the title for this chapter, and of course, to all of you who read review, favourite, and add to story alerts!**

**Oh yeah, btw! This is going AU series 3! (just thought i'd make a disclaimer here :P)  
**

**Chapter 10: Merlot  
**

Gene stared at the clock, debating. On the one hand, going to meet Liz was always an adventure. She was funny, witty, and not nearly as annoying as other women. On the other hand, he always felt guilty when he was with her, as though he should be searching for Bolly instead of enjoying her company. Gene had never been able to stand up a woman, though. If he made a commitment, he stuck to it. It was both a blessing and a curse.

Gene looked at Alex's desk. It had sat untouched for nearly a month now. The only difference between the day she had disappeared and now was that some of the files had disappeared from the top of her desk. No one had nicked any of her pens; no one had moved her chair. It was like a shrine in the middle of CID, a tribute to the officer that had disappeared so suddenly, a reminder of what they were working on.

No one had any clue where she was, either. Since she had rung two weeks earlier, there had been nothing. Gene could only guess at her mental state by now. If he had broken her in two weeks, what would happen to her now? It came to the point where he almost hoped the bastard would take him, just so he could see how she was doing. He sighed. He knew that would never happen, as much as he wanted it.

Gene looked at the clock again. He had half an hour before he had to meet Liz, and they were only meeting at Luigi's. Gene reached into his pocket and felt the key that he kept there. Alex's flat key. He had taken it from her flat the day she had disappeared. Gene didn't want to risk anyone sneaking into her flat. He himself had not been there since the day she had disappeared. He couldn't bring himself to do it. It was weird, almost stalkerish. But now... it had been so long since he had seen her. He needed _something_ to keep her fresh in his memory.

Mind made up, Gene put on his jacket and walked over to Luigi's. Instead of going down the steps into the restaurant, he headed up the stairs that the tenants used, straight to her flat. Gene took a deep breath and entered. It looked exactly as it had a month ago, with only a few changes.

The bottle of wine was gone, confiscated by forensics to see exactly what had been put in it. When the report had finally come through, it had not surprised Gene at all. There had been a liberal amount of tranquiliser in the bottle, enough to knock someone out slowly enough that they didn't become alarmed, but enough to knock them out within thirty minutes of drinking half a glass. A black powder covered everything, but the status of 'crime scene' had long been stripped from her flat. Gene went back to the loo, staring at the spot where he had found her smashed up wine glass a month previously. It was still there, shards littering the floor, glinting in the light.

Gene moved to her room. The bedclothes were off, taken by forensics to see if they had a trace of anyone else's DNA on them. He was slightly thankful she seemed to have changed them in the aftermath of their fight. He didn't need another murder enquiry on his reputation. Gene could only imagine the look on Keats's face if he were charged with murder.

Gene went into her lounge. A few of the pillows were thrown carelessly on the floor, the rest stacked up on one side. A blanket should have been on the other side, but forensics had taken that as well.

Gene inhaled deeply. He swore he could still smell the scent that was so distinctly Bolly, a mixture of wine and perfume and another smell he could not quite place, but seemed familiar. It was stale, but he could tell that Bolly had lived here.

_Jesus, Hunt, _he thought. _Pull yourself together. You're turning into a right soft southerner._

Gene looked around the flat one last time. It served as a reminder that somewhere, Alex may still be out there. No. She _was _still out there. And he had to find her.

Gene looked at his watch. Five minutes, and he had to meet Liz. Seeing her right now was really the last thing he wanted to do, but she seemed to be a drug for him. When he was with her, his guilt for Alex being captured ceased. Her posh accent filled the hole that Alex had left behind.

Gene walked down the stairs, spotting Liz immediately at a private table. She was wearing a dark blue dress, showing off her considerable cleavage. Gene noted that Ray was having problems not gawping at it. Gene smiled inwardly. He got to the table, and Liz smiled dazzlingly at him as he sat across from her.

"You were almost late," she remarked dryly.

"I got caught up in work."

"Oh really?" she asked. "Anything you can tell me about?"

"Just went over a victim's flat again."

Liz leaned in, giving him a full view down her dress. Gene focussed on keeping his eyes on her face, pretending not to notice Ray elbowing Chris and pointing to Liz out of the corner of his eye. "What happened to them?" she asked interestedly. "Murdered? How? How much blood? How old were they? Was there a grudge?"

"If we knew that, the case wouldn't be open, would it?" Gene asked stoically, trying to control the anger rolling in his stomach at her assumptions.

Liz caught on to his tone, and leaned back. "I'm sorry, darling," she said flirtatiously. "I just find this sort of thing..." She trailed her hand down his shoulder to his chest. "Fascinating. Will you tell me what happened?" she pleaded.

Gene shifted in his seat. "My DI," he said. "Went missing about a month ago. Drugged and kidnapped."

Liz covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to be horrified. "Oh Gene, how awful. Were you and him close?"

_You don't know the half of it, _Gene thought. "Yes," he said. "Alex was the most annoying partner I've ever had, but also the best."

"You poor thing," Liz said, scooting closer to him, stroking his hair. Gene looked down into his whiskey. "Gene," she whispered.

He turned to look at her and was surprised as her lips met his. She kissed him fiercely, barely concealing her passion. Gene matched her intensity, but it felt wrong. It _tasted _wrong. He wanted the flavour of the house rubbish, the scent of Alex's perfume. Instead he was met with the taste of whatever kind of cocktail she drank, the too sweet smell of her perfume. Gene pulled away. She looked at him, her eyes dark with desire.

"Gene," she whispered.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm drunk." That was, in fact, a lie. She knew it as well as he did.

"I'll see you later, then?" she asked.

"Yeah," Gene said, already beating himself up for turning his back on Alex for that moment.

"I'll call you tomorrow," she said, smiling. Gene watched as she left the bar, downing the rest of his whiskey in one.

~(*)~

Ray stared across the room at the woman his Guv was sitting with. He knew what attracted the Guv to her. She was fiery and posh. She reminded him of Alex. The Guv had met with her on several occasions over the past few weeks, but Ray knew that they had all ended with the Guv going home, alone, completely sober.

Ray watched as Liz leaned over to the Guv, showing him her cleavage. He elbowed Chris.

"Look," he said. "Guv's staring at her face. Tenner says if Drake did that he couldn't stop staring at her tits."

Chris just looked at him, and Ray realised what he had said. Alex Drake's name had become a taboo. No one said her name around the office. To mention her last name in any conversation not pertaining to her case warranted a glare from the Guv if he was in a good mood and a bollocking if he was not. No one touched her desk without permission from the Guv or even looked at it if they could avoid it.

The desk was a reminder of the part of the family that was missing, a shrine to her. To touch her desk was to disrespect her memory.

Ray knew that Keats did not care about this, and often sat in her chair, feet on her desk, talking about how they needed to move on, put this case on the backburner. He had told the Guv on more than one occasion that she was probably dead already, so what was the point?

On these occasions, Ray had seen the anger flare up in the Guv's face, the temporary clenching of his fists, the deep breaths he had inhaled to keep himself from ripping Keats to pieces. Ray understood; he felt the same way. He didn't love DI Drake like the Guv did, but he had respected her. His relationship with her was much like the Guv's was with Sam. There was a mutual respect between them, but they didn't always agree with each other. One would insult the other jokingly, and the other would come back with a joke just as insulting.

Ray had been shocked when he hadfound out DI Drake had been taken. He hoped they found her soon. It was tearing the Guv up inside, and Ray felt like he had lost a mate.

Ray finished his beer. He was quite drunk by this point. The Guv had already gone home, sending Liz away after she had kissed him earlier in the night. Ray waved goodbye to Luigi and stumbled up the steps. A taxi was driving slowly down Worship Street. Ray ignored it and kept going towards his flat, but it slowed and came to a stop beside him. The driver rolled his window down. His face was in shadow.

"Need a lift, mate?" His voice was familiar.

"Nah," Ray slurred drunkenly. "No money."

"Don't worry about it," the driver said. "Consider it an act of charity."

"Yer not gonna preach ter me on the way 'ome?" Ray slurred.

"No. The Lord decides when you will get preached to."

Ray smiled and practically fell into the car.

"Where to?" the man asked.

"Live on Cowper Street," Ray managed.

"Not a problem." The car started up. Ray, lulled by the motion of the car and the alcohol, fell into a booze induced sleep.

~(*)~

Gene stared at the clock. Gone ten in the morning. Ray should have been here by now. A small pit of worry was starting in his stomach. It had been about two weeks between the nutter taking Shaz and Chris, and it had been about two weeks since Chris returned. His face had mostly returned to normal, all the swelling down, but his lower eyelid was still tinged yellow.

"Chris," Gene said. "Do you know where Ray is?"

Chris looked up. "Not a clue, Guv. Last I saw, he was getting pissed at Luigi's last night, making fun of that posh bird you're seeing...oops. Sorry, Guv."

Gene smiled humourlessly. "Shaz, ring Ray's flat." Shaz nodded, picking up her phone quickly. Gene stood by the door of his office, hoping severely that Ray answered his phone, that Ray had just gotten pissed and was sleeping off his hangover, even though Ray had never done that in the entire time he had ever worked with Gene. Though, wasn't there a cliché about there being a first time for everything?

Shaz hung up the phone, looking downcast. "Nothing, Guv. "

"Right. Granger, you go to his flat. Chris, you walk his route home, talk to anyone who might have been on the street last night. I'm going to talk to Luigi. Take the radios."

Shaz and Chris nodded, and the three left in their separate directions, Shaz in a car, Chris walking to Luigi's with Gene and then continuing on. Gene walked down the stairs, knocking loudly on the door. An annoyed looking Luigi opened the door.

"Signore Hunt, you know I do not open for another hour..."

"I know Luigi, but I need to ask you a question."

Luigi's brow furrowed and he looked up at Gene. "What's wrong?"

"What time did Ray leave last night?"

"Some time after you, Signore Hunt. Probably around 11 or 11.30. He was very drunk, though."

"_Guv," _said Shaz's voice over the radio. _"He's not answering at his flat."_

Gene raised the radio to his mouth, but before he could depress the button, Chris's voice spoke.

"_Guv, I've got a man here who says he saw Ray get into a car last night at about 11.30. It turned onto Paul Street, in the direction of the station."_

Gene swore. That was the in the opposite direction to Ray's flat. "Right," he said into his radio. "It looks like we've had a fourth officer kidnapped in the space of a month."

_God, _he sighed to himself. _Keats is going to love this._

**...to be continued...**


	11. Jet

**Thank you to Blue Jackal, because without her plotting sessions almost every afternoon (For me...night for her) to give ideas and the constant PMing when I am not on with more ideas, this fic would not be half as evil! :D Also a huge thanks to Fern for being an amazing beta! Also a big thank you to those who continue to read, review, favourite and add to their Alerts!  
**

**Chapter 11: Jet**

Pas d'espoir. Haud spes. Keine Hoffnung. No matter how she said the words, or what language she said them in, they felt the same. No hope. She had no hope. Nothing to help her in the absolute despair she had fallen into. She had not spoken since she had said Gene's name. She had not eaten either. Alex had refused all food he'd given her, and he surely knew by now that she was just being stubborn. However, she had received no lesson to force her into starting eating again. The man had however, stated his displeasure, and when she ignored him, he had moved her back onto the short chain for a punishment.

Alex had taken this punishment easily. She knew that in his mind, she deserved it. She just didn't care anymore. Her hands were cuffed behind her again, a part of the punishment. Alex put her weight against the wall. She was tired. So tired. She had been standing there for God only knew how long, with just water to sustain her. She had had no sleep. The exhaustion was worse than when she had fallen asleep in the man's arms, and she knew that she had no fight left at all.

Alex's eyelids started to droop. She pulled them back open and stared at the wall opposite. Not that she could actually see it. Alex felt her legs growing weaker beneath her. She couldn't stand here for too much longer. She was going to fall, and the chain would catch her, keeping her suspended. If her legs would not support her, she would effectively hang herself by accident.

Alex considered it. Gene had to have given up looking for her ages ago. He'd be with the _other _woman now. The one that completed his life. The one that he could look at with such passion in his eyes. Alex felt her eyelids droop once more and let them. She had nothing left. No life, no constant, nothing but this tiny room and the collar around her neck. Alex felt her legs buckle beneath her as consciousness slipped away. The last thing she felt was the collar tight on her neck, cutting off all her air supply.

_Good,_ Alex thought as the blackness enveloped her for the last time.

~(*)~

"_You're not getting away from me that easily."_

Sound? She shouldn't hear sound. She was supposed to be dead.

"_Wake up, Animal."_

No. No, no, no. She couldn't still be with him. She didn't want to be here anymore. The collar was her way out. It was the resource he had given her to escape him. Why was he saving her? Was she really that important?

Alex opened her eyes slowly. The room slowly came into focus. Somewhere along the line, the light had been turned on. He was over her now, his light blue eyes staring into hers, glittering with worry. The balaclava obscured the rest of his face.

Alex slowly became aware of feeling. Her arms were pinned behind her back uncomfortably, the handcuffs still holding them in place. She felt nervousness curl in the pit of her stomach as she realised he had not put her in the other collar. Would she get an obedience lesson for this?

He pulled her into his lap. "You can't leave me yet," he said, stroking her hair. "I haven't saved your soul yet. Just _wait_ and the end of this will all be worth it, Animal."

Alex wanted to sob. She wanted to sob out her fury and beat him through the haze of the tears. She did nothing, however. _Pas d'espoir. _No hope.

She became aware of the fact that she was sitting on her own now. He had disappeared behind her. Alex didn't turn. She didn't care. She heard the clinking of metal, and she knew what was going to happen.

The cool metal encircled her neck once more. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was on the long chain once more, but she had her safety around her neck.

"If you try something like that again, I'll have to put you in a cage."

Alex did not react. She knew he wanted a whimper of fear. She wouldn't give it to him. She no longer cared what he did to her. Alex Drake was emotionless. The fury she had just felt, the rage, the fear, and even the relief had all changed suddenly into apathy.

She looked up at him. "I don't give a shit." Alex _did_ whimper as his hand crossed her face, splitting her lip.

"Fine," he spat. "Let's see how much you care later." He stormed out of the room, leaving the door wide open. Alex heard him storm out of the door to the flat as well, his feet stomping on the stairwell. She used the open door to see what time of day it was. There was no light shining into the flat. Either it was night or he had covered the windows out there as well.

She heard him enter the flat again, something dragging along behind him. He was struggling to get it through the door, but soon enough, he had, and Alex could see what he had brought.

It was a cage, just like he had promised. It was square, about five feet wide and five feet tall. Black metal bars were embedded in a piece of wood on either end. He stood it upright and started nailing one end to the floor. When he finished nailing the cage down, he pulled a chair up next to it and looked at her.

"Get in."

Alex stared at him in disbelief. He wanted her to climb into that? The man sighed. He grabbed her elbow, and dragged her over to the chair.

"Get _in," _he said, his voice threatening. Alex tried to obey but her legs were like jelly. She fell to the floor, crying out as her chin hit the chair. The man pulled her back up again, scooping her into his arms. He climbed onto the chair and held her over the top of the cage, dropping her down.

Alex cried out in pain as she hit the floor. The left side of her face was already swelling painfully from being slapped earlier, her chin was throbbing from hitting the chair, and now the whole right side of her body ached.

The man jumped into the cage with her, kneeling over her. He removed the collar from around her neck, throwing it over the top of the cage.

"Please," she whispered. "Please leave it on." She didn't feel safe anymore. She needed her protection.

The man's eyes grew angrier. "We had this lesson, didn't we? Animals should be seen and not heard." Alex tried to scoot away from him, but he pulled her up to her feet. The man then pinned her to the corner, holding her hands against the bars of the cage.

"I think you need the lesson again," he whispered menacingly. Alex struggled weakly against him, but it didn't matter. He was way too strong. Tears started to flood her eyes. No one was here to save her. This time she _would _get an obedience lesson.

~(*)~

Alex was sat in the centre of her cage, duct tape over her mouth. After her obedience lesson, he had handcuffed her right wrist to a bar on the right side of the cage, and cuffed her left hand the same way on the opposite side. She looked around her cage hopelessly. It was only five feet wide and five feet tall. The man had covered the top with razor wire, so she couldn't even stand unless she wanted to cut her head to ribbons. She was truly trapped. He had left some hours before, leaving her alone in the cold silence, alone to the thoughts which tortured her just as much as he did.

She heard him coming up the stairs, and it sounded like he was dragging something else with him. She heard the man grunting with the weight of whatever it was. Alex found herself hoping it weighed a ton or that he'd throw out his back trying to get the object up the stairs.

The door to the flat slammed open and soon after, the door to her prison. He was dragging in a still form into the room. The man got the form's feet out of the range of the door and dropped the form like a rock, panting heavily.

"Your new friend," he said laughingly. "But you're not allowed to even look at him, Animal. No matter what he does. I'll be watching, do you understand?"

Alex nodded and he left the room, only to return a few moments later with food. He put the bowls on the ground and put on a pair of thick leather gloves. He removed the razor wire from the top and jumped in, quite nearly landing on her. He squatted in front of her, removing the tape from her mouth.

"You're not to speak. If you do, you'll get a lesson. Do you understand?"

Alex gulped and nodded. The man pulled himself out of the cage and put the razor wire back in place. He then walked to her food bowl, pulling out a bit of food and putting it in front of her mouth. Alex turned her head away.

The man laughed in frustration. "You _will_ eat eventually, Animal. If you don't eat, you don't drink either. Got it?"

He stomped out of the room. As the door slammed behind him, the form that he had dragged in started groaning. She heard something shuffling around, and figured that the form had woken up. Alex had to keep herself from gasping as she heard the voice.

"Where the bloody hell am I?"

It was Ray. She longed to tell him where he was, but the man's threats weighed heavy in her mind. Alex turned her head from where she knew Ray had been thrown, afraid of what would happen if the man walked in and saw that she was looking over there. She heard Ray feeling around the room, trying to find the way out. He made a noise of excitement, and Alex figured he had found the doorknob.

She was right, because a few seconds later the door handle started jiggling. Alex heard Ray swear under his breath. She figured it was only a matter of time before he started trying to ram the door down.

However, before he could start trying, the door flung open. Alex looked up and back down quickly, drinking in as much detail as she possibly could. The man was standing in the doorway holding a torch in one hand and some sort of whip in the other.

"I'd stay away from the door if I were you," he said threateningly.

"Where the bloody hell am I?" Ray shouted. "Where's DI Drake?"

Alex could hear the cruel smile in the man's voice as he answered. "I don't have DI Drake here. I've got you and an animal in that cage over there, but that's it."

Alex felt the humiliation wash over her. Now Ray knew what he called her as well.

"Flaming Nora," he whispered quietly. Alex really wished she could look up at them. She hated the feeling of not knowing what was going on.

"What the hell have you done to her you bastard?" Ray's voice was a scream of rage.

"I'm doing what's necessary to cleanse her soul. To make her fruitful for God."

_Fruitful for God. _Where had she heard that phrase before? She knew that she had heard it before, but her brain was so exhausted from hunger and lack of sleep that she couldn't think of it.

The man and Ray were having some sort of heated argument, but Alex was fading in and out as sleep started to claim her. She lay down on her back, unable to get into a comfortable position because of the handcuffs holding her to the sides of the cage.

Alex focussed on nothing, letting the screaming of the voices lull her into a dreamless sleep.

~(*)~

She woke slowly. The first thing she was aware of was that her legs seemed to be cramped and her arms were sore from being stretched as they were. The next thing she was aware of was how thirsty she was. Her mouth was completely dry.

_I'm not going to eat, _she thought. _Not for him._

Alex sat up, hearing her cuffs clink against the bars. Suddenly, she was blinded by a bright light. She automatically tried to raise her hand to cover her eyes, but was hindered by the cuff around her wrist.

"Oh good, you're awake," his hated voice said serenely.

"Alex?" Ray's voice said from her right side.

Alex wanted to look at him, to reassure him that she was alright, but the man's torch was trained on her. She couldn't. She'd be punished.

"Alex," Ray's voice came again. "You've not been eating. I can tell. You can't do this to yourself ma'am. The Guv would have a fit."

Alex kept her eyes trained on the ground, trying to fight the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. The torchlight clicked off.

"Alex, you've got to eat," Ray said. It seemed as though his voice was strained. Was he in pain?

"It's not good for you to not eat. The Guv's still trying to find you ma'am. When he does, he'll have a fit that you've not been eating."

Alex felt rage flare up in her stomach. "Then what about the other woman?" she asked angrily, forgetting the man was in there.

The torchlight clicked back on. "I warned you, Animal," the man said viciously. The light went off again, and she heard him walking over to her. Alex looked up and saw the razor wire being pulled from the top of her cage. He landed in front of her.

The tears she had held back started flowing again. She cursed her voice and swore that she wouldn't talk for the remainder of her time in this hell hole, whether that be till he released her or until she died.

She severely hoped for the latter.

~(*)~

Alex sat wide-eyed, staring at the wall she couldn't see. The man had left after he'd given her the obedience lesson, leaving her and Ray alone. It had been silent in the room since. Alex was mortified. Ray may be a div at times, but she knew he knew what had just happened.

"I'm sorry Alex," he said finally. Alex didn't respond.

"How'd you know the Guv was seeing someone?" He waited for her to answer, but since she said nothing, he continued.

"He was meeting up with some posh woman," Ray said. "But he felt nothing for her. You can tell. The other night she was wearing a frock that showed half her tits, but he only looked at her face, and he sent her home after an hour or so."

Alex felt a small amount of relief flood through her, but now she had another question. Who was the woman that she kept seeing?

"Alex," Ray said seriously. "You need to eat."

Alex heard him approach her cage and tried to move back, away from him.

"Alex, it's okay. I'm just coming to the bars, okay?"

Alex looked down at her feet. She couldn't risk looking at him.

"You've got fish and chips in the bowl here," Ray said quietly. "It's cold, but it'll still be good. That fried sausage that you told me was a todger was good, and it was cold.

"I'm gonna come to your side, Alex. I'm not gonna touch the handcuffs, alright? Won't touch you either, okay? I'm just gonna stick my hand through the bars. It's got a bit of the fish in it." His voice was extremely soothing.

Alex was amazed. She had heard all his stories about the women he had been with, and though she knew he had a softer side, she didn't realise he could be like this.

"You don't have to speak Alex. Just try and eat this bit of fish." Alex could see his hand in front of her face. She could smell the fish. It made her stomach turn excitedly.

"Please, Alex. Just eat it for the Guv. He's not given up on finding you. Don't give up on him."

Alex took a bite, the first bit of food she had had since around the time Chris had left. Even though the fish was cold and greasy, it tasted delicious.

"There you go Alex. That wasn't too hard. Here's a chip."

~(*)~

The man listened at the door. She was eating again. Good. Very good.

**...to be continued...**


	12. Russet

**Thank you all for your lovely reviews last time! They all made me smile! (That sounds cheesy but its true...guess I'm just cheesy.) ANYWAY I'm so glad you are all enjoying this! Thank you to Bloo for our almost daily plotting sessions, to Fern for being an awesomely awesome beta, and to Jess-Who for the title of this chapter!**

**Chapter 12: Russet  
**

_He tried not to cry out, but it was difficult. The pain ripped into his skin, tearing in a straight line down his back. His whole back burned now, but thankfully, it was starting to go numb. That didn't matter though, as each time the metal shards met skin, they tore out a new strip, causing fresh waves of pain to course down his spine. But he could do nothing about it. The whip cut into his back once more, and he cried out involuntarily. _

_The man laughed. "Good," he said. "Jesus can forgive your sins now. You've been cleansed." _

_~(*)~_

Gene violently kicked a rubbish bin, glaring at Keats.

"No," he stated, simply but forcefully.

"You have to, Hunt. Both of your DI's are missing, and even if either of them do turn back up, it's not clear whether they'll be in working shape. Look at Skelton. You had to give him a week off for his ribs to heal. What if Ray turns up in the same shape?"

"_No._ I refuse to replace any of my team." Gene's face formed into his characteristic pout.

"It's not a _replacement,_ Gene. It's a _filler_. Just until Carling shows up, and he's in working shape."

Gene could tell Keats was trying to suppress a smirk, and he could hardly keep the rage out of his voice, "What about _Alex, _Keats? What if she turns up?"

"Think rationally, Hunt! Drake has been missing for over a month now. You don't think the man behind this is going to release her now out of the blue, do you? Granger and Skelton were released after two nights and a day. I'm betting that Carling will be released as well!"

"You a betting man, Jimbo?"

"No. I make educated guesses, but I'm fitting it into your terms of Neanderthal speech."

"_No. _You are _not_ giving me any new DI's. All my new DI's are always the same. Poncey, annoying. And if you're choosing them, it's gonna be worse. He'll be a pencil pusher like you, won't he?"

Keats just smiled, "You'll have your new DI by the end of the day."

"For the last time Keats, I _do not need_ one!"

"Right." Keats turned and walked out of Gene's office, whistling happily to himself.

Gene went to kick his rubbish bin. He swore under his breath when he realised that he had already upturned it when Keats was still there and kicked a filing cabinet instead. The swears he was muttering grew louder as he hopped up and down on one foot, realising that kicking a filing cabinet was probably not the best thing to do.

His foot was still throbbing when his phone rang an hour later. "Hunt," he said into the receiver.

"_DCI Hunt?" _said the voice on the other line. _"This is Doctor Allan Trent from Saint Bartholomew's hospital. We had a patient come in this morning, and his file said to contact the station first. I assume this to be the right place?"_

"Well, yes," Gene said, wondering if the patient was Ray and feeling a horrible sinking feeling that it might be. "I'm DCI Hunt, but until you tell me who the patient is, I can't tell you whether or not it's the correct station."

"_His name is Raymond Carling._"

Gene felt his stomach drop.

"This is the right station then. What's going on?" he demanded.

"_We can't tell you much over the phone, unfortunately. Privacy and such. If you'll come down to the hospital, we can explain everything there."_

Gene swore as he put down the phone. He walked out of his office and into CID, glaring around the room. It was just starting to fill up. He pulled Shaz aside.

"Shaz," he said hurriedly. "They found Ray, he's in the hospital, but they won't tell me anything. It's up to you to keep this lot in shape, understand?"

Shaz looked at him. "But...I'm a WPC!"

"And the only woman in the department. Usually, Drake would keep them in line..."

Shaz's eyes widened as the tabooed name was spoken. "Not a problem, sir. Do you want me to tell them anything?"

"No. I don't want anything getting out before I know anything. And that means don't tell that useless tosser you call a boyfriend either. Understand?"

"Yes, Guv."

Gene picked up his jacket and driving gloves and left CID, passing many of his curious junior officers on the way out. He strode to the Quattro and drove quickly to the hospital, demanding answers from a harassed looking nurse as soon as he walked in.

"Raymond Carling. Where is he?"

"Best to ask the desk, sir," she responded quickly, running off before he could get another word in.

Gene strode to the desk and repeated himself, scaring the woman that sat at the desk.

"Raymond Carling," she muttered, looking quickly through her sheets. "Here, let me take you to him."

She led Gene through the corridors. Gene was still wondering what had happened.

"Let me get Doctor Trent," she said. "He'll explain what happened."

Gene found himself actually listening, waiting impatiently for the doctor that the woman was supposed to be getting. After what felt like an hour later, but was actually only about five minutes, the woman came back with a man in tow. He had dark hair and grey eyes, and carried a feeling of authority with him.

"DCI Hunt, I take it?" he asked in a deep voice, extending his hand.

"Yes," Gene said, taking the other man's hand, looking straight into his eyes. "What's going on with my DI?"

"It's very curious DCI Hunt. Nothing we haven't seen before, but it's very uncommon."

"_What's going on?" _Gene snarled.

"Well, he was whipped. More flogged, actually. Here." The doctor pushed aside a curtain and ushered Gene into where Ray was lying.

He was on his stomach, a bag of blood attached to his arm and seemingly unconscious.

"Someone saw him lying on the street and called the ambulance. We have no idea how long he was out there, but he's lost a fair amount of blood. He was unconscious when we brought him in. He's also been beaten, not terribly, but he does have some lovely bruises. We've given him morphine, so he should be out for another few hours."

"He'll be okay?"

"He's going to need some time to recover. Those wounds won't heal overnight. It'll probably be about a month before he can be cleared."

Gene swore underneath his breath. He knew that Keats was going to stick him with some smarmy new DI until Ray was cleared or Alex turned up again, completely unscathed, which he doubted would happen after Chris's report.

Gene stared at his sleeping DI and turned toward the doctor. "Right. If he comes round, I want a call immediately. Otherwise I'll be here after work. Keep him awake. I need to talk to him."

"Sir, I'm not going to stop a patient from going to sleep. It disturbs the healing-"

"I don't care what it disturbs," Gene said viciously. "That's my DI and he may have vital information on a missing person! Do you understand?"

"Yes," the doctor said, his air of authority stripped away.

"Good," Gene said, turning on his heel and walking back out to his Quattro.

He started on the way back to Christopher Street but suddenly stopped and decided to go to Worship Street. Gene drove slowly down the street, looking for any signs for why Ray would have been kidnapped there but found nothing. He drove back into CID, still thinking about the streets.

Shaz had said she had been dropped off at Lamb Street. Chris had been taken and returned on Christian Street. Ray was taken and found on Worship Street. They were all religious references!

Gene sighed. They already knew the man was a religious nutter. This didn't really help much, did it? Gene opened the doors of CID, stopping dead as soon as he looked at Alex's desk.

A woman was sat there, arms crossed against her chest, smiling broadly. Alex's name plate was missing, as were the little trinkets that adorned her desk. Gene stared at the woman in fury.

"Liz," he said violently. "Why the hell are you here?"

Liz just grinned wider. "I'm your new DI, Gene," she said silkily.

"I didn't know you were in the force. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"It never came up. Most people don't find missing person's cases fascinating Gene. I was surprised you didn't pick up on it."

"You're only here until Ray or Alex come back."

"I've been talking to Keats, Gene," Liz replied. "He says there's not much chance of one of your DI's coming back. That's why he took all of her things."

"Keats is talking out of his arse," Gene responded before storming over to Keats' office. Not bothering to knock, he flung the door open to see a calm Keats sitting on the other side.

"Gene, I've been expecting you," Keats said placidly.

"I told you no new DI's, Keats."

"I know, but you need a DI. You can't run a station with just a DCI and DC's, Gene."

"I've got a DI."

"Alex is _not_ coming back, Gene. You might as well get that thought out of your head."

"Ray was found today," Gene interjected defiantly.

"Oh?" Jim asked, his mouth forming into a little grin. "And how was he?"

Gene looked down. He knew Keats would call his bluff.

"Doctor said about a month."

"Exactly. Put up with her for a month, and then you get Ray back. It's plain and simple Gene. Just calm down. Maybe if you could solve this crime faster, you'd actually have your team."

"Excuse me! I've been trying everything I bloody can! We have no leads! And all you're ever doing is poncing around, laughing about the fact that I don't have DI's! If you're gonna get after me for not having a DI, then get your arse into CID and help us!"

Gene stormed out the door only to be apprehended by the desk sergeant. "Sir," he said. "Hospital's been on the phone for you. They say DI Carling's awake."

"Good. Keep your trap shut about it. I want to see how Ray's doing before CID finds out. Understood?"

The sergeant nodded and Gene retraced his path to the hospital he had visited only a few hours previously. Gene went straight to the bed where Ray had been lying. Opening the curtain, relief welled in his stomach when he saw his inspector shifting uncomfortably.

"Jesus Ray, if you wanted a day off, you could have just asked. You didn't have to put yourself through this," he joked.

Ray looked over his shoulder and smiled sadly. "Guv. I'm sorry."

"S'not your fault that some nutter took you off the street."

"Yeah," Ray said, looking back to the wall.

"What happened, Ray? Tell me everything that happened."

"Well, after you and that posh woman left, I stayed and got pissed. I dunno what time I left, but when I got to Worship Street, some taxi offered me a ride. So I got in, and passed out. When I woke up, I was in the room of some flat. The windows were all boarded up. I found the door, and I was gonna knock it down, but the man appeared."

"Did you get a look at his face?"

"No. He wore a balaclava. He did the whole time." Ray closed his eyes, remembering.

"I asked him where DI Drake was. He told me he didn't have anyone named DI Drake." Ray paused, and Gene's stomach sunk. Was Alex dead?

"He said...he said he had an animal. He pointed his torch over to the middle of the room...Alex was there."

"How is she, Ray?" Gene asked worriedly, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"Guv..." Gene could tell Ray was struggling to find words.

"She's not good Guv," Ray said finally. "He's really treating her like an animal. She's in a cage. He's got her chained to the bars. She refused to speak or even look at me the entire time I was there. The only time she did..." Ray trailed off, and Gene leaned in.

"What happened, Ray?" he asked forcefully.

"He...he raped her, Guv. And he's either threatened it or done it before because after she spoke, he said he'd warned her. And she's been refusing to eat. I had to persuade her to eat. She's lost loads of weight. We've gotta get her out of there."

Gene stared at Ray, trying to control the fury that coursed through his veins. He'd find Alex. He'd quadruple the search effort. He had to save his Bolly.

**...to be continued...**


	13. Slate

**First off, a HUGE thank you to those of you who read and review and favourite and add to story alert! The response to this story is AMAZING! Another huge thanks to my beta, Ferndavant, who I am dreadfully overworking right now... And again, a big thanks to Blue-Jackal, who came up with the brilliant idea that inspired this fic!**

**Chapter 13: Slate**

The bars were cold. They were always cold. They were like ice beneath her hands. The cold reminded her where she was, that she was still alive. It was in this knowledge that she took relief, and in this knowledge that she found her misery.

She wanted to stay alive for Gene. She wanted to see his face again. She wanted to hold him in her arms and cry into his shoulder.

But would he let her? Or did he have that other woman? Ray had told her that there was no other woman, but Alex knew it had been a few days since he had left. What if during that time Gene had found another woman? Alex wondered if he would he still want to hold her, to protect her, to keep her safe?

Alex knew that she was not going to get out of this mess easily. In fact, she doubted she would leave until her captor let her go. She still held some hope that the man would eventually release her. He had released Ray, Chris and Shaz. Why hadn't he released her yet? Why was her torture so much worse than the others? Why was _she_ an animal?

Alex shifted uncomfortably. She had not received an obedience lesson since the day Ray had witnessed it, but she was still sore. It had been more violent than the others. In fact, it had been the most violent that she had experienced.

Alex heard a sound at the door. Was it him? Her breathing quickened. He hadn't been happy with her for the past several days. She hadn't gotten an obedience lesson, but she knew he was close to giving her another one.

Her heart started to race as she realise what he had done to her. He'd tormented her physically, emotionally and mentally. He'd played games with her since day one. Alex finally realised that she did feel like an animal. Her breathing quickened more.

She was an animal. She was dirty. He had made her dirty. She had to clean herself. Her hands tugged against the cuffs that held her in place against the bars. She moaned in pain, but she had to get out. She couldn't break the cuffs, but she _had_ to get away.

Alex realised that she was choking. She couldn't get enough oxygen in, no matter how much she breathed. Panic settled over her. She was dirty, she was dying. She couldn't die yet. Her primal instinct had kicked in, and she wanted to avoid it at all costs.

She tugged against the cuffs harder. Alex couldn't stand it anymore, and stood, crying out when her head hit the razor wire. She had to get out! She started pushing against it, trying to get it off, not caring that her hands were streaming blood.

The door flew open and the man stood in the entrance. Alex felt her fear increase. He was here. He was going to give her a lesson now. She'd been trying to escape. She'd been bad. But she couldn't stop. She needed to run. She had to get out, to take a bath. Anything to make her feel like she wasn't the animal he described her as. She tugged against the cuffs once more.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" he cried.

Alex whimpered in fear but didn't stop her frantic escape attempts. She was choking. She had to get out of there before she died.

He put on his gloves and pulled the razor wire off the top of the cage. Alex was relieved that she didn't have to work through that obstacle anymore, but she still had to get out of the handcuffs.

The man jumped into the cage. Alex tried to back away, the fear she felt overwhelming her. Suddenly what was happening to her clicked in her head. _Panic attack, _she realised.

"Stop, Animal," the man said frantically.

Alex couldn't control herself, however. He was going to kill her. She was going to die. She had to get out, no matter the consequences.

He grabbed her arms. "Stop!"

"No," Alex said pleadingly. "No. Can't. No."

The man slapped her across the face. "Is that defiance, Animal?"

"Please," she said frantically. "No. No. Not." She was shaking now, her whole body wracked with tremors.

The man studied her. Without another word he jumped out of the cage and into the other room of the flat. He re-emerged a few moments later, this time with something glinting in his hand.

He jumped back into the cage, standing behind her, his arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her still trembling body steady.

"Calm down Animal. It'll all be better soon."

Alex felt a stabbing pain in her leg and cold liquid rushing in before she sank thankfully into a black oblivion.

~(*)~

He continued to hold onto her even after she slumped in his arms. He didn't know what had happened. She had been quiet since the other DI had left. Then, today, he had walked past the room. He had heard her chains clinking against the bars, and when it didn't stop, he had opened the door. Her eyes had been wide with terror, and she was pushing on the razor wire that covered her cage.

He hadn't understood what was going on, but he knew that something was wrong with her. At first he thought that it was just her being defiant, but the way she had looked at him had told him differently. Her eyes were filled with panic and desperation. He had known immediately that he had to do something or she was going to hurt herself worse than she already had. He had gone out and gotten a sedative. She was still panicking when he had re-entered the room, even as his arms wrapped around her to administer the dose.

He looked at the sleeping figure in his arms. Her hands and head were bleeding quite badly. He sighed and lowered her slowly to the ground. All he wanted to do was save her soul. She was making this _so _difficult.

He knew, however, that eventually she'd be ready. In just a few weeks after he carried out the last of the cleansing of CID, he could cleanse her. It had been more difficult than he had anticipated, though. She had tried to hang herself just a few days previously. He had never considered how much she would try to escape the place he had set up for her.

He hadn't wanted to put her in the cage, but he didn't want to risk her hanging herself again. He knelt next to her, absentmindedly stroking her bloodied hair. Should he leave her in the cage anymore? Surely the several days in there had been punishment enough?

The man stared at the collar connected to the long chain. Could she hang herself from the long chain? It was long enough for her to lie down comfortably and move a little around the room. As long as she couldn't get in the cage to attempt, she should be fine.

The man couldn't believe it. His animal was a suicide risk. He had been so scared when he had entered the room, seeing her hanging lifelessly, the collar tight on her neck. He had turned on the light and ran over to her, unfastening her and letting her fall into his arms. He had put his hand on her wrist and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse.

He had then put his hand over her mouth, feeling her shallow breathing growing deeper. It was then that he had started calling her to come back.

He couldn't lose his animal. God had told him to save her. If he failed, he'd never be able to forgive himself. He had put her into the cage more for her safety than for any anger he felt for her talking back to him. It was when she talked later that the fury had coursed through his veins. Then she had defied him when her colleague was there. He didn't want to have to discipline her in front of her colleague, but he had warned her.

The man looked down at his animal once more and then back to the long chain and nodded. He'd fasten her back up to that. She was ripped up from the razor wire, and he couldn't have her doing further injury to herself.

The man took out the keys to the handcuffs and released her hands, only to put them behind her back. He had to keep her safe somehow. He jumped out of the cage, going out to the flat to grab something to pull up the nails with. He got back in the cage, careful to not land on her.

The man slowly started pulling up the nails which fastened the cage to the floor. When he had pulled them all up, he lifted the cage a few feet off the ground. It was heavy, but he could deal with the weight well. His long, lean figure hid the amount of strength he had in him.

The man looked at the sleeping figure in the middle of the room. The flow of blood had slowed, and he knew she was going to be fine. He walked back to where he had lain the long chained collar and grabbed it, fastening it around her neck. He took one last look at her before leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Only a few more weeks until he could finally cleanse her soul. He looked forward to it.

~(*)~

_A clown, moving in to inspect her. It was cold. She could see her breath in front of her face. The clown changed, clothes turning black, face turning into a face she recognised but could not place. Her brain was working too sluggishly. She didn't know if it was because of the cold or the blow to the head, but she was losing consciousness. _

_The scene changed. She was at the Cale's restaurant, but looking on as Gene and the woman stared at the exterior._

"_Never walk through falling glass," he was telling the woman. "It may look cool, but you get cuts all over from the shards."_

_The woman laughed. "That's the stuff they don't show you in westerns."_

_Gene gave her a glare. "Oi. Are you trying to suggest that I am not Gary Cooper?"_

_The woman looked back at him, wide eyed. "Oh, of course not, Gene. But I'm betting they had a stuntman fill in for Gary Cooper when he walked through the glass."_

"_Shows what you know woman. Gary Cooper did all his own stunts. And I'll not have you disrespecting his name by suggesting that he didn't!"_

_The woman laughed. "I'm SO sorry, Mr. Hunt. How can I ever pay you back for ruining the memory of Gary Cooper?"_

_Gene pretended to think. "I can think of a thing or two."_

"_Oh really?" the woman asked coyly. "Tell me one."_

"_Why tell, when you can show?" Gene said laughingly, placing his mouth against the woman's._

_Alex looked away as their kiss deepened, trying hard not to cry. The world dissolved into black around her._

_~(*)~_

Alex woke slowly, the depression washing over her in waves. How could Ray say that Gene wasn't involved with anyone? He clearly loved the woman she kept seeing. Alex stared at the wall in misery, noting that he had put her back into the chain and that her hands were cuffed behind her back. She felt a slight relief at the collar being around her neck.

Alex thought back to her dream again. What if she was seeing the future? What if Ray was right? What if Gene _didn't_ have a woman right now? What if he was really looking for her? What would make it change so that he wanted the other woman instead?

Alex wondered if the dreams she were having meant that she would die. She tried to care that she might, but she couldn't. She only wanted out, and right now, it seemed death was the only option.

She just hoped it came quickly.

**...to be continued...**

_Authors note: I have no idea if Gary Cooper did his own stunts or not. However, for all intents and purposes in this story, he did._**  
**


	14. Garnet

**I know...I only updated once last week, but that's because I updated Rage of Fire, Love of Daughter for the first time in over a month! :) That being said...I am once again overwhelmed at the response to this! Thank you ALL for reading and reviewing and adding to your favourites and story alerts! Many thanks to Bloo for always being ready to conspire and coming up with the idea that brought this fic to life... Thanks to Rolephant for coming up for the title to this chap! (I was running out of red names...) And also HUGE thanks to my beta Ferndavant, for telling me like it is, and being an awesome beta.**

**Chapter 14: Garnet**

"No," Gene said firmly, glaring at the woman who stood across from his desk.

"Gene..."

"How many times do I have to tell you _Inspector? _It's Guv or DCI Hunt! I _do not_ go by Gene in this office unless you are of equal rank to me!"

"But Gene..."

"Get out your warrant card," Gene commanded, staring angrily at his DI.

"What?" she asked confused.

"Get out your warrant card," Gene repeated slowly, as if talking to a five-year-old.

Liz got out her warrant card and held it in front of her.

"Now open it."

Liz opened the little wallet and looked at him.

"What does the rank say?"

"What?"

"_What does the rank say_?"

"Detective Inspector," she said, her voice getting colder with each syllable.

"Now, is _Detective Inspector _above or _below_ the rank of Detective _Chief _Inspector?" Gene questioned her.

"Below," she muttered.

"Good," Gene said. "Now that we've got your place all cleared up, let's get to the details. My rank is above yours, I can use your Christian name. You are below me, so you get to use my surname, Guv, or even Sir. I think you'll find that in this office 'Guv' is the preferred name for me, unless you talk to the scum we bring in of course. They prefer to call me a miserable bastard. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Liz said, glaring at him.

"Good. Now mush."

Liz walked out of Gene's office. He noted how everyone treated her distantly, as though she wasn't really there. He couldn't blame them. She was the unwanted replacement for Alex. She had disturbed the shrine in the middle of the room. She had tried to focus them on different cases.

All her efforts had been in vain, however. Ray had returned the day before, two weeks before the doctor had predicted. Ray's return had reminded CID who they were searching for. Gene had collected his statement at the hospital, but Ray had retold CID the horror of what he had gone through, of what Alex was going through.

At first, Gene had resented Ray for not protecting her when the man raped her. But then, listening to the statement a second time, he realised that Ray couldn't have protected her. The man had beaten him before torturing Alex and had duct taped Ray's legs together, leaving him unable to stand.

Gene looked at his DI. Outwardly, he looked normal, but Gene knew that underneath his shirt large chunks of flesh had been ripped out. The doctors were reluctant to let him go back, but Ray had persuaded them to let him, saying that he would stay on desk duty. Gene had snorted when Ray told him this. Ray didn't do desk duty. He went out, shot things up, then came back and watched as a plonk did his paperwork.

Gene stared at the desk Liz now inhabited. It didn't look right with someone besides Bolly sitting there. It was wrong. He longed to boot Liz out and set Alex's desk the way it was the day she disappeared. However, Gene knew that he couldn't do that. Until Alex returned, he was stuck with Liz.

Gene couldn't believe that just a few weeks ago he had kind of enjoyed her company. Her posh voice was the only connection he had to Alex, so he had grasped the opportunity to hear it whenever he could.

Gene still wondered about the fight. If that hadn't happened, would Alex have been sitting at that desk right now, annoying him in her own special way? If he hadn't thrown the record, would he have not gotten so exasperated that day at the scene of the murder and made her walk? If she hadn't have had to walk, she wouldn't have decided to take the rest of the day off work, meaning she'd still be there.

Gene put his head in his hands. It was all his fault that she was missing. A knock sounded at his door and he looked up. Liz was standing in the window, holding something in her hands.

"What do you want," he snapped.

"Guv," she said quietly.

_Well, at least she's remembered what to call me, _he thought.

"What do you want?" he said again.

"Erm...This was brought in," she said, handing him the object in her hands. "Someone found it on Amen Court."

Gene looked at Liz and then down at the object in his hands. His stomach dropped. It was a warrant card. Gene stared at it for a moment, aware that Liz was watching his every move. He opened the warrant card slowly, afraid of what would be inside.

His fears were confirmed when the card was opened. Inside was Alex's ID photo. It was smeared in blood, as was the insignia on the other side of the card.

"Where was this found?" he asked, trying control the quaver in his voice.

"I already told you. It was found on Amen Court, in the gutter."

"Well then we better get CID out there, haven't we? Sooner we find Alex, the better," he said, trying to hide the fact that he was reeling.

Gene stood, brushing past his temporary DI. CID looked up at him as he stood in the office. He held up the bloodied warrant card for the whole of CID to see. The room gasped.

"We've had a lead," Gene said. "This was found on Amen Court. I want forensics and the 'A' team with me. Rest of you, do something useful towards this case until I get back, do you understand?"

A chorus of 'Yes, Guvs' surrounded him, and Gene nodded, knowing that they would work on the case while he was away. He started out the door, followed by Liz, Chris and Ray. Liz stopped him and looked pointedly at Ray.

"Where do you think you're going, Ray?" she asked sternly when Gene did nothing.

"With the Guv," Ray replied, unabashed. "I'm on the 'A' Team."

"You're on desk duty. You haven't been cleared yet."

"Aw, Guv!" Ray exclaimed like a petulant teenager.

Gene glared at Liz. "If you stop acting like a child, Raymondo, I could care less whether or not you're on desk duty."

Ray grinned at Liz before brushing past her on the way out.

"Gene you can't do this!" she exclaimed. "He's not fit to be out on the streets, he's only just come back! He's on desk duty! If Keats..."

"I don't give a rat's arse what Keats thinks!" Gene said rounding on her angrily. "Ray was blown up once, and he was fine later that day! And lastly, to you I am GUV! Not Gene andnot anything else your bloody woman brain can think up! It's called respect, Bolly!" Gene stopped, unaware of the name that had just dropped from his lips.

"Bolly?"

Gene stared at her. _Shit_.

"Who's Bolly?"

Gene looked down. "No one. Someone I used to know. You sounded like her for a minute."

"Her name was Bolly?"

"It was a nickname," he said defensively. "C'mon, we've gotta go to Amen Court."

~(*)~

Gene stared moodily into his pint. There had been nothing on Amen Court to point to where Alex was hidden. It had been a lead to nowhere. CID had been working hard on the case, but they had found nothing. Keats had spent the entire afternoon walking around the office whistling. Gene had to resist the urge to punch him in the face. He knew why Keats was delighted. This was evidence to point to Alex being dead. Keats loved being right.

Gene knew that Keats was wrong, though. He could feel that Alex wasn't dead. The man had kept her for a month, why would he suddenly kill her?

"Your beer's gonna be no good if you keep staring at it like that." Gene looked up to see Liz standing by him.

"What do you want?" he asked with no real malice.

"Just some company," she said softly. "I'm lonely. I'm completely hated here, Gene."

"They see you as trying to become the new Alex," Gene said looking at her levelly. "She's their sister. We thought she was completely mad, but you grow fond of that after a while."

"I didn't ask for a transfer here, Gene," Liz said seriously. "I don't want to take anyone's place. I'm just here to do a job. And it's hard to do that when even the DCI hates you." Liz looked down at her drink like she was holding back tears.

"Liz," Gene said, concerned. "I don't hate you."

Her lip was trembling. "You certainly act like it. You go out with me, tell me you're drunk when you're not, anything to avoid spending time with me!"

"It's not like that, Liz!"

"What is it then?" she demanded.

"Its...just...You're..."

"I'm not Alex," she said heavily.

"I'm sorry, Liz," Gene apologised. God, why did he have to end up with all the female DIs? And sorry? Gene Hunt didn't say sorry!

Liz looked up at him through teary eyes. Suddenly her lips were on his, kissing him hard. Gene tried to think straight, but he couldn't. He wanted to pull back, but his body wouldn't let him. Soon he was being led out of Luigi's and into a taxi to her place, kissing the whole way there.

~(*)~

Gene stared at the wall across from him. Liz had one arm over his chest, breathing deeply. He couldn't help but feel guilty about sleeping with her. Alex was hidden somewhere, bloody and bruised, while he was shagging her replacement. And why had he done it? He was drunk and she reminded him so much of Alex.

_Some excuse, _he thought to himself. The guilt washed over Gene in waves. He felt a sudden need to get some air. He gently pulled Liz's arm off of his chest and got up. He picked up his boxers, accidentally grabbing his trousers with it. He heard something thump softly on the floor and reached down to pick it up, confused. He couldn't remember what it was.

As soon as his fingers hit the cool leather, however, his memory came flooding back. Alex. Amen Court. She was missing. He had to find her.

Gene put on his boxers and walked out to Liz's kitchen, stroking the leather envelope in his hands. He turned on the light and opened the wallet, looking through the smeared blood at Alex's photo. Remorse coursed through his veins. How could he have let Liz get to him?

Gene noticed a little corner of white sticking out from Alex's ID photo. He hadn't noticed it earlier. He pulled the corner out to reveal a folded up photograph. He unfolded it, slowly, afraid of what he might see.

He nearly dropped the photograph on the floor in shock. Gene felt the bile rise in his throat the longer he stared at it. He looked away, but it didn't matter. The image was burned into his brain.

In the photo, Alex was lying on the ground of some flat, clearly unconscious. Blood covered her face, and her arms were behind her back. Gene imagined they were bound in some way. Her face was slightly swollen, but at the same time she seemed undernourished. Even unconscious and through a photograph, she seemed to have an air of despair. Gene was glad her eyes weren't open. She had always spoken through her eyes, and he didn't want to see the misery she was in.

One thing drew his attention more than anything else in the photo. Around her neck was a heavy iron collar. Chris had described it, but Gene hadn't believed him. Seeing it now, around her neck, made him physically sick. He ran to the toilet and lost all the food and drink he had consumed that night.

He heard Liz padding in and crumpled the photo into his fist so that she couldn't see it.

"Gene, are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

"Erm...no," he said. "Mm...Gonna go."

"No, you're ill," she said. "Stay here."

"No," Gene replied. "Mm going home."

Gene left the toilet and started collecting his clothes. Liz didn't try to stop him. He put the photo in the pocket in his trousers. Gene left the flat, buttoning up his shirt, not realising that he had left Alex's warrant card behind.

~(*)~

Gene wasn't consciously thinking of where he was going, but he knew where he wanted to go and his feet led him there. He was staring at the gutter on Amen Court, wishing that Alex would magically turn up.

"_Gene."_

Great. Now he was hearing her voice. He was probably going mad now.

"Gene." It was her voice again, louder. It sounded as though she was tired and in pain. Gene looked up. Standing on the corner underneath a street lamp was Alex.

She was wearing nothing but her black nightshirt. Blood covered her face still and her hair was a mess. Her face was still swollen, but in spite of this all, Gene grinned. The man had let her go.

"Bolly," he said, rushing towards her. She started towards him, but suddenly stopped, jerking back. Gene realised that something was going on, but before he could think on it any further, something met the top of his head, stunning him and knocking him to the ground. The object met his head once more, and Gene fell into unconsciousness, thinking of nothing but Alex.

**...to be continued...**


	15. Atramentous

**I still can't believe the response to OSAS... and I think I've come up with the only reason why you all seem to like it so much. YOU'RE ALL COMPLETELY MAD! (but i love you anyway.) :P And hey, if you're all mad for reading it, I guess I'm even madder for writing it! Anyway...THANK YOU for favouriting, for reviewing, for adding to your story alerts, and especially for reading! A HUGE thank you to Bloo who is now conspiring with me on a possible Spooks fic... and to Ferndavant my awesome beta!**

**Chapter 15: Atramentous**

The ride back to her prison seemed amazingly short. Alex knew it only seemed short because she was dreading what was going to happen next. She had made the man mad. She had disobeyed him. She had tried to run towards Gene. Alex knew that an obedience lesson was going to happen as soon as the man got her back into the flat.

She couldn't help it, though. In the moment when she had stared at Gene, she had felt defiant. She had loved having the feeling of defiance in her after she had been without hope for so long. Alex knew she had shut down after the obedience lesson that had occurred when Ray was there. She'd lost all motivation, all sense of caring for what happened to her. Alex knew that she only felt that way to protect herself. But the defiance she had felt tonight cut through the apathy she had surrounded herself with. She could feel again, and she cursed herself for it.

She hadn't missed being able to feel. The only emotions she knew since her imprisonment were fear, sorrow, hate and anger. The hate and anger had motivated her into defiance, but that had caused her sorrow and fear.

The van jolted to a stop, and Alex slid forward a few inches, feeling the still unconscious Gene do the same. The engine cut off, and a few moments later, she heard the doors to the back of the van open. The man grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her out of the van. Because of the blindfold over her eyes and handcuffs around her wrists, Alex was unable to get her footing and crashed to the ground, barely keeping herself from crying out in pain. That would probably just make him angry, and she didn't want to make him any angrier than he already was.

She heard the man grunting, and she figured that he was trying to get Gene out. Alex considered offering help, to make him happier with her, but knew that if she did it would be talking without permission. Suddenly she felt a tug on the lead he had attached to the leather collar on her neck.

"C'mon, whore." Alex walked blindly in the direction that the lead was pulling her. She only went a few feet before she tumbled over Gene's legs. Apparently the man was dragging both of them in together.

The man didn't stop for her to right herself, however. He just continued tugging on her lead choking her. Alex struggled up to her feet and stumbled forward a few feet before the man stopped her again.

She heard the door being unlocked and the slight whisper of the wind as the door swung open. The man grabbed her shoulders and moved her a few inches.

"Stand there. Don't move," the man ordered.

Alex realised numbly that she was being used as a door stop. She was holding the door for him to get Gene in. Alex considered running, but she was handcuffed and blindfolded and the other end of the lead may have been tied around something. Even if it wasn't, being blindfolded, she would most likely just run straight into the van. Suddenly her collar tugged again.

"Move."

Alex walked blindly, hitting her shoulder hard against the frame of the door. When she finally got back into the building, the man stopped her for a second time. He pulled the blindfold off of her face, and Alex blinked at the torchlight in her face.

"You're helping me carry him up there," the man said.

Alex wanted to tell him that he was mad. She could hardly keep herself standing, how was she supposed to lift the nearly fifteen stone that Gene weighed?

"You're going to hold his feet," the man said, unlocking her handcuffs. His voice was pure ice. "Now come on. We're wasting time."

Alex picked up Gene's feet, feeling like a traitor as she dragged him further upstairs to where her prison was. She had just helped to capture her Guv. What would CID do now? Could they work without Gene in charge?

Finally, they reached the fourth floor where the flat was. The man opened the door. "I can take it from here. Go to the room."

Alex felt like a child, but went to her prison without a fuss. The man came in only a few moments later, dragging Gene behind him. When both men were completely in the room, the man shut the door and flipped on the light. Alex blinked in the bright light. It hurt her eyes. She hadn't seen anything that bright in several weeks.

The man stared at her angrily. "Sit in the corner over there. I don't care what way you face."

Alex obeyed, her goal just being to try and make him less angry. She knew that the obedience lesson was coming, no matter how good she was. But she had realised that the angrier he was, the more violent he was. So she kept her mouth shut and did as she was told, hoping for an obedience lesson that wouldn't become extremely violent.

He had not forbidden her from looking at him, so Alex watched as he stretched Gene's arms above his head, handcuffing them. He then grabbed a chair from the corner of the room. Alex figured it was the chair that he had used to get in and out of the cage. He stepped on it and fastened one of the cuffs of a different pair of handcuffs to a ring in the ceiling. What he was going to do was dawning on Alex. The man struggled to lift Gene up, but eventually managed it. He then put the chain of the handcuffs fastened around Gene's wrists onto the free end of the handcuffs hanging from the ceiling and fastened it tight. Gene was now effectively trapped. Alex knew that when he was awake, he'd be able to touch the floor easily without much pain, but she knew that when he woke up he'd be terribly sore from his shoulders and wrists holding all that weight for whatever amount of time he was unconscious. There was also the possibility of him dislocating his shoulders from being hung like that.

The man stood back and admired his handiwork for a moment, before rounding on Alex. "You disobeyed me. I told you just to stand under the streetlamp. You tried to run away."

The man descended on her and Alex felt the inevitable tears well in her eyes as he acted out his displeasure.

~(*)~

The first thing he was aware of was the pounding in his head. Surely he hadn't drunk that much the night before, had he? Gene tried to remember the events of the night before, but they evaded him.

The next thing he was aware of was that he felt as though he was hanging by his wrists. What had happened? Why would he be hanging by his wrists?

Slowly the night before came back to him. Gene realised what had happened. Alex had been used as a trap to lure him in. He had been captured by the same bastard that had taken Alex. Instead of saving her, he was in the same situation. Still, there was a silver lining in this cloud. If the man was planning to conduct this like he had with Chris, Ray, and Shaz, then he'd be released soon enough. And while he was here, he'd figure out who the man was. Then, when he got back to CID, they'd find Alex in just a few hours.

Gene heard the sound of a whimper. It sounded like Alex. Slowly he opened his eyes, only to let out a roar of anger. Alex was laying unmoving on the ground, the man over her. She looked like she had resigned herself to the abuse, a fact which made Gene's stomach turn. Gene tried to move to get the man off of Alex but was pulled back by the cuffs that attached him to the ceiling.

Rage flowed through his veins. He couldn't do _anything _to get the man away from her. Gene resorted to yelling, trying to just make the man stop.

"GET OFF OF HER!" he roared. "YOU MISERABLE BASTARD! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

The man's head swivelled in Gene's direction. Alex didn't move, continuing to stare at the ceiling. The man looked back down at her. "He's awake, whore. We'll have to continue your lesson later, when he's less vocal."

The man laughed and stood. He zipped his jeans and walked over to Gene. Gene tried to ignore the fact that Alex had curled up into a ball in the corner, her shoulders heaving.

"She's a whore, Mr. Hunt," the man said laughingly. "She gets what whores deserve."

With that, the man left the room, locking the door behind him. Gene stood for what seemed like ages until Alex's sobs had silenced.

"Alex," Gene said consolingly. She didn't respond, her back still turned away from him. Gene could tell that she was not the same person she had been just six weeks ago.

"We're gonna get you out of here, Alex," he said, knowing that he was only offering false hope. She didn't even acknowledge that she had heard him. Gene knew that he had to keep trying. He had to reach her somehow.

"Can you look at me, Alex?" Alex shook her head no. Gene felt some happiness as he saw her move her head. At least she was acknowledging him.

"Ray said that you wouldn't talk to him," he said, trying desperately to elicit a bigger reaction from her. "Is there a reason for that?"

That did it. Her hazel eyes met his silvery blue as Alex looked Gene in the eye for the first time. The moment she did, Gene regretted asking the question. For the past six weeks, Gene had imagined the fire that he would see in her eyes when he next saw her again. It was one of the things he had missed the most. But there was no fire. Her eyes were dead. There was not even the slightest flicker of emotion in them. The hazel he had longed for was dull and lifeless.

"Bolls," he whispered disbelievingly. "I'm sorry, Bolly."

Alex looked away, and Gene felt relief well in his stomach. He didn't have to stare into her eyes anymore. Suddenly, her hand reached up around her neck, and her face changed to one of panic. Gene wondered what was going on. She looked quickly around the room and moved to where a collar, connected to a long chain that hooked into the wall, was lying on the floor. She picked it up and started tugging on it, seemingly trying to get it open.

"Alex, you don't want that around your neck, do you? You're free. You can walk around the room. The collar just restrains you more!" Gene desperately tried to talk sense into her.

However, she looked at him once more and Gene stopped. Her eyes would not let him argue with her. He felt so guilty for not finding her yet. He had made her like this. It was all his fault.

Alex walked back to the wall where the chain was attached and sat down, holding the collar in her hands like it was her lifeline.

"Alex," Gene attempted once more. "Be defiant. Refuse him. When he opens the door, you run. It doesn't matter what he does to me. You just get yourself out of here. Got it?"

Alex looked at him again with her dead eyes. "It doesn't matter, Gene," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm stuck here. I refuse him, I get punished. If I'm defiant, I get punished. If he hears me talking, I get punished."

"When he comes back in, I'll take him, Bolls. You just run."

"What are you going to do? You're chained to the ceiling. _There's no hope, _Gene. I'm here until he releases me, or until I die."

"You're not allowed to die," Gene said dramatically. "Do you understand me?"

She looked dreamily at the wall opposite. "Sometimes it feels like dying's the only way out."

"It's not. CID'll find you."

Alex looked down at the floor, playing with the collar silently. She stood and stared directly into Gene's eyes.

"I trust you, Gene, but I just can't believe you this time. I'm sorry." Her fingers ran through his hair. "It'll be better for me to just die. It'll be better for everyone."

"Don't say that, Alex," Gene protested vehemently. "No one's better off if you die."

She smiled disbelievingly at him.

"I mean it. If you die, Bolly..." Gene swallowed, trying to get the words out. "If you die...I've got nothing left to fight for."

Alex stared at him in disbelief. He knew why. He had just told her exactly how he felt about her, something he had hardly been able to do when they were together. Slowly, her face moved into his, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek.

The door opened suddenly, and a sound of rage echoed through the room. Alex backed away suddenly from Gene.

"You filthy _whore!" _the man yelled. He stomped up to her, grabbing her hair and pulling her face back to look up at him. "You'll get punishment for this, whore, don't you worry."

He threw her across the room. She hit the wall with a loud thud and fell to the floor, unmoving.

Gene struggled against the handcuffs that held him in place. He wanted to rip the man to shreds. The man stopped Gene from struggling with a well placed kick.

"You're the cause of her being a whore, aren't you?" the man asked. "You've tempted her to be that way. The Lord has a wonderful punishment in store for you, Mr. Hunt. And now it's time for you to feel his fury."

~(*)~

She didn't dare move. The longer she pretended that she was unconscious, the less time she had to spend with the man, with Gene.

She hadn't meant to kiss his cheek. She had been overwhelmed by what Gene had said. Something buried deep inside her had told her to kiss his cheek, in order to tell him that she still felt the same way.

The door slammed open and Alex heard the man come in, dragging something behind him. Gene must still be here, then. She closed her eyes quickly. It would be better for them to think that she was still unconscious. She knew that the man was extremely angry with her. No matter how angry he had been before, he had never thrown her across the room. He had slapped and punched her, shoved her up against the wall, but he had never thrown her.

Alex heard Gene panting heavily. He sounded hurt. What had the man done to him?

She heard the man's footsteps approach her and concentrated on making her breathing even. She heard the creak of the wood behind her head and figured that he was squatting next to her. The man turned her onto her back. Alex kept her eyes shut and her body as limp as possible.

"You don't think I know when you're pretending?" he asked venomously. "Besides, you've moved. I'm not that easily fooled, whore. Open your eyes before you regret trying to fake me out."

Alex opened them. He was already extremely angry with her. It would do nothing to make him angrier.

"Good," he said icily. "Sit up."

Alex sat up, not daring to look in his eyes. "You've been nothing but defiant today. Is it Hunt's presence?"

Alex didn't want to answer. She couldn't betray Gene. She could still hear his ragged breathing in the black room, unable to see anything around the torchlight.

"Answer me. Is Hunt telling you to be defiant? And if you lie, I will find out."

Alex couldn't sell Gene out. He couldn't be punished for what she had done. It was her fault that the man had done all of this to her. If she had just listened in the first place, the first day that she had been taken, she wouldn't have had to go through all of the obedience lessons or to spend days chained to a wall, unable to move.

"You're trying my patience."

"No," Alex whispered softly.

"You're being defiant on your own? It was your decision to talk earlier? To kiss him?"

"Gene doesn't make me do anything," she replied firmly. Alex considered adding a second part to the sentence.

_Screw it, _she decided. The worst he could do would be to kill her, and that would be doing her a favour.

"Gene isn't deluded enough to try and control someone. He's not enough of a bastard to try and become the master of people."

Alex felt the sting as he slapped her face.

"You'll regret you said that, whore. I'm not deluded," he said, pulling her to her feet. "I'm doing the Lord's will. Just as he told me."

Alex doubled over as a fist drove into her stomach.

"I'm trying to help you. But you've refused me over and over. You refuse to humble yourself enough to repent. You've been defiant since day one. You've refused to eat. You've talked without permission. You've slandered me. You've tried to run." He punched her stomach with each sentence he uttered. Alex fell to the floor, unable to catch her breath, hardly aware of Gene's muffled yells.

"You've been nothing but a _whore,_ and you refuse to admit it. Well, let me tell you this; you've chosen your fate now. There's no turning back." He kicked her, and Alex curled up, trying to prevent herself from getting hurt anymore.

The man walked away, flipping on the light. Alex kept her eyes shut against the bright glare.

"I told you once, Mr. Hunt, the first day that I met you, that no amount of water could get a woman like her clean. It's the truth. There were two ways to cleanse her. And she's refused the first way. Now there's only one."

Alex's eyes had finally adjusted to the light. She gasped in horror at what she saw. Gene was leaning up against the wall, his hands tied to some sort of wooden beam. The collar on the long chain was around his neck. His face was bruised and bleeding, and a ring of barbed wire adorned his head. She could see little spots where it had punctured the skin, leaving little streams of blood running down his face. Gene's mouth was duct taped, but he was looking at the man with pure hatred in his eyes.

"Gene," Alex whispered. She cried out as a foot met her stomach again.

"What have I said about talking, whore? You know, I don't think it's Hunt that needs the duct tape." He ripped the tape off of Gene's mouth and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Alex lay on the floor, trying to catch her breath.

"Alex," Gene said, his voice weaker than usual. He was clearly in pain.

"Gene," she whispered, not caring if the man heard her anymore. "What's he done to you?"

"Made me pay for my sins," he spat. "I was beaten, whipped, and then he put this shit on me."

"Here, I'll take it off." She removed the wire, and started to undo the knots.

"We'll get you out of this, Alex," Gene said. "And I mean it this time. I know who the bastard is. When he was whipping me...he said something...something about dead men's bones."

Alex stopped, looking up in shock. It sounded so familiar, but she couldn't place where she had heard the quote before. Suddenly the door slammed open, causing her to jump.

"Get away from him!" the man's voice cried as he re-entered the room.

Alex didn't move. The man flung her across the room again, moving towards her.

"Makes you feel powerful, does it?" Gene's voice called.

No, Alex thought. He couldn't get involved. The man would just hurt him more.

"Watching her collapse on the floor, you like to see that?"

"Gene, don't," Alex pleaded.

"Shut up!" The man kicked her in the stomach, and Alex was effectively silenced as she tried to catch her breath.

"You get a thrill out of beating the shit out of her? Isn't religion supposed to be about peace and harmony and that bollocks? Can you tell me where in the Bible it says it's okay to beat a woman whenever you bloody well please?"

"'The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute,'" the man quoted dramatically. "'They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.' Revelation, chapter 17 verse 16. I am the beast and the ten horns, Mr. Hunt. She is the prostitute."

"Alex isn't a prostitute!" Gene protested vehemently.

"She's gone out, whoring herself around to any bloke around. You've slept with her yourself! Unless her husband was unfaithful, she had no right to divorce him, which means that she's been sleeping with people whilst still in wedlock with her husband! She is a whore, Hunt. A whore and a prostitute."

"Don't you _dare_ talk about her like that!" Gene bellowed. "The only person in this room that the Lord is fucking angry with is you, Burns. He didn't give you this mission. You gave yourself this mission because you were angry at her. She got you put away. And you felt _dirty, _because you raped a prozzie. That's your own fault. Alex shouldn't have to pay for that."

_Burns, _Alex thought, only half listening to the volley. She didn't care whether or not she was determined a whore by this man. He was mad. But the name Burns. That was of interest. _ Where have I heard that name before?_

"You shut your filthy mouth," the man yelled back. The man pulled a strip of tape off the roll and put it over Gene's mouth, silencing him completely. Gene started struggling against his bonds, looking at the man with nothing but contempt.

The man turned back to her. "He's got a strong opinion of you."

Alex just stared at him, looking deep into the blue eyes. Suddenly the name appeared in her head.

"Ryan Burns," she whispered.

The last thing she remembered was a flash of panic in his eyes before a blow to her temple turned the whole world black.

**...to be continued...**


	16. Cruentus

**Thank you again for all your reviews, for adding this to your favourites and your story alerts! A huge thank you to Bloo...because of whom this fic exists. Another huge thank you to Ferndavant, who is a brilliant beta!**

**Chapter 16: Cruentus**

_He had wanted to scream his protest as Burns knocked Alex out but was unable to because of the duct tape covering his mouth. Burns still wore the balaclava. He was smiling triumphantly at Gene._

"_She'll still be punished, Hunt." _

_Gene wanted to laugh._

No she won't, _he thought. _Cause as soon as you let me out, I'm setting CID on you.

"_You think that because you know who I am, it'll help? It won't, Hunt. The whore will pay for her sins. I will make sure of that. Besides, it's not fair for all of your friends to pay for their sins and her not to, is it?"_

_Alex moaned and started to stir. _

"_Oh. The whore's starting to wake," Burns said laughingly, staring down at her. "We can't have that now, can we?"_

_The man pulled something out of his pocket. Gene saw something glint in the light and realised immediately what it was._

_Alex's eyes were starting to move and her body tensed slightly._

"_I don't want the whore being corrupted by you anymore than she already has been, Hunt. She's not gonna wake up again while you're here." Burns plunged a needle into Alex's leg. She relaxed immediately, sighing quietly as the drug took effect._

_Gene struggled against the beam he was tied, all to no avail. Unable to speak, he was only able to act out his anger in muffled sounds of displeasure. He hated the fact that Burns refused to use her name. Gene wanted to scream that her name was Alex. She was human. But he knew that Burns wasn't thinking like that. To him, Alex was an animal, a whore, something that didn't deserve a name. Gene knew that this was a technique used to degrade her, something that would make her break faster. _

_Burns picked up the ring of barbed wire from the floor and mashed it onto Gene's head once more. The barbs dug into his skin, and Gene felt new streams of blood start flowing down his head. He hissed in pain, hating himself for giving in to the pain as he did so. Burns merely grinned and left the room, leaving the bright light on. _

_Gene stared at Alex. The nightshirt she wore was in tatters. One of the buttons was missing and it was covered in blood. There were bruises of different stages all over her face and legs. Her hair was a mess, also covered in blood. _

_Gene felt guilt wash over him. Even sleeping she looked broken. She had seemed to start fighting Burns again, but it had seemed that her motive wasn't to get out of the place. It seemed as if her motive was to get him to finish it. _

_Gene knew that Burns wouldn't be able to finish it. CID would find Alex and Burns as soon as he let Gene go. Alex would be safe. Liz could leave. It could be back to the way things were._

_Reassured by his thoughts, Gene drifted into a fitful sleep, distracted by the pain of his back and head._

_~(*)~_

"Give it a few hours," Ray said confidently to the DI he considered an imposter. She said that she hadn't wanted to come here, but Ray knew that was a lie. She had wanted to get closer to Gene. He knew that Keats would look for anything to wind Gene up, so why not make the woman he's trying to get rid of be his DI? That way, she could pester him and annoy him in a way Keats never could. Ray hadn't fallen for the innocent act for one second.

"The Guv'll be back."

"How do you know, Carling?" she said, arching an eyebrow. Christ, she was even using Alex's facial expressions! It was no wonder the Guv had wanted to keep seeing her after Alex went missing. If he squinted his eyes, he could almost see Alex standing there in front of him.

"'S the same MO," Ray said, explaining it to her like he would to a three year old. "Guv disappears without a trace in the middle of the night. It's been two weeks since I was kidnapped. The bloke behind this takes you at night, holds you a full 24 hours, and releases you around dawn, maybe a little later. Shaz and Chris were back by eight in the morning. I was in the hospital by nine. It's just gone eight. Guv'll be here in a little bit."

"What if he goes to the hospital?"

Ray laughed loudly. "He won't. He'd beat the bastards trying to put him in an ambulance. Only time he goes to hospital is when he's been shot, and as soon as the bullet's out, he tries to leave."

"This is ridiculous. The man's been missing for over twenty-four hours. He's with a religious nutter that ripped your back to shreds. And you don't want to send out a search team?"

"What's there to search? Amen Court? His flat? The Guv will be back in just a little bit, Jones. Just relax and do some paperwork or something."

Liz gave him a dirty glare and Ray relaxed in his seat, waiting. Contrary to what he had just told her, he was worried. If the Guv came back and was worse off than he had been two weeks ago, they were in trouble. If the Guv didn't come back, they would be in even more trouble, and he would be given a bollocking for not giving the case proper concern. Ray stared at the clock. 8.20. The Guv would be in soon. He knew it.

_~(*)~_

_Gene tumbled into the street as Burns pushed him out of the moving transit van. He had been blindfolded for the first part of the trip and handcuffed for the entire trip. Burns had him in the front seat and was going to take no chances. On Threadneedle Street, the blindfold had been removed, and on Warwick Lane, the man had undone the handcuffs. As he turned onto Amen Court, he opened the door and pushed Gene out._

_Gene tumbled along the ground, tucking in his head so he wouldn't hit it. The last thing he needed right now was a concussion. He stood and brushed himself off, starting towards Christopher Street._

_He knew why people were stopping to stare as he walked past them, but he paid them no mind. He was walking as fast as he could without making himself tired. If he wore himself out, he'd never get to CID in time to stop Ryan Burns. _

_He cursed the walk from Amen Court to CID. He knew that no taxi would go near him in his current state, and he had no radio to call someone to pick him up. Walking would probably be faster at this time of day, anyway._

_He walked faster the closer he got to Christopher Street. He had to save Bolly. That was the only thing that mattered. He had to get her out of that hell hole. _

~(*)~

Ray looked up in delight at 8.45, breathing a sigh of relief followed immediately by a gasp of horror. The Guv was battered. There were little scabs on his forehead where it looked like something had been poked in. Blood was smeared across his face and in his hair. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and the skin across his mouth was bright red, as though something had been put over it and pulled off repeatedly.

_Duct tape, _Ray thought immediately before going back to observing the Guv.

His stark white shirt was now covered in blood and seemed to be buttoned wrong. The tie he had been wearing two days previously was now missing, along with his suit jacket.

"Granger," Gene snapped, "9 sugars. Put a shot or four of whiskey in there too."

Shaz, wide eyed, nodded and stood, scurrying to the canteen immediately.

"Jesus, Gene," DI Jones breathed.

He glared at her with such a look of icy coldness that Ray shivered. "I've told you, _Jones._ You call me DCI Hunt or Guv. My name is not Gene to you."

He turned to Ray. "Get everything you can on Ryan Burns. Find out why the hell he's out. He should have gotten five years."

"He's the one..." Ray started.

"Yes," Gene said, cutting him off.

"How'd you figure that out?" Ray asked, genuinely interested.

"Bastard told me he was ridding me of dead men's bones. How many people say that? Go get those files. Now."

Ray nodded and left CID to look for the files.

~(*)~

Gene stood at the whiteboard, scribbling down everything he had found out. CID was working feverishly, all of them feeling as though they were close to finding Alex. Knowing who the man was had spurred everyone into action.

Gene heard the door open.

"Good God," Keats voice said in disbelief.

Gene turned. "What are you doing here Keats?"

"I heard the prodigal son had returned, so I wanted to see. Did you even go to hospital?"

"Didn't need to. Was beaten worse before," Gene said shortly before turning back towards the board.

Keats walked over to him, taking in his ragged appearance.

"The back of your shirt has some bloodstains on it," Keats said.

"Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Not helping. Go away," Gene said, not bothering to even talk in complete sentences.

"Whipped, Gene?"

"You know you're really not helping?" he bellowed at Keats.

Keats didn't flinch, just stared at Gene's forehead. "A crown of thorns?"

"Think more along the lines of barbed wire, Keats. That's not helping."

"Shaz was starved, Chris was beaten, Ray flogged, and you got a crown of barbed wire." He started laughing. "This man isn't very original, is he?"

"What are you talking about?" Gene growled.

"'Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"' Matthew 26, verses 67 to 68."

"Right," Gene said, annoyed. "I just spent the last thirty hours having the Bible quoted to me-"

"'Then he released Barabbas to them,'" Keats said loudly, speaking over Gene. "'But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.' Matthew 27, verses 26 to 31." Keats started laughing again.

"Can I ask what's so bloody funny?" Gene yelled, seriously starting to get annoyed with the man.

"Don't you see what's going to happen Gene?" Keats asked with a small grin. "What happened to you, to the members of CID, are all what happened to Jesus. He was beaten, starved, flogged, dehydrated, and had a crown of thorns put on him before he was finally crucified. There's five of you. So far, Granger, Skelton and Carling have all been beaten, starved, flogged, and dehydrated. And now you've had a crown of thorns put on your head. That just leaves one more punishment for the last member of CID, doesn't it?"

Gene stared at Keats, the realisation dawning on him. "No. He's not gonna..."

"You've dealt with religious 'nutters' before," he said, making quotation marks with his fingers. The gesture reminded Gene of Alex's first day in CID and made him long for her all the more.

"How strong is this man's conviction, Gene? How Biblical is he?" Keats questioned sharply.

"Extremely," Gene muttered with horror.

"Then I suggest you find Alex Drake quickly, Hunt," Keats said quietly. "Because if you don't, she's going to be crucified. Literally."

**...to be continued...**


	17. Sable

**Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! It continues to amaze me! Thanks to Fern and Gem6 for betaing this chap! And thanks of course, to Blue-Jackal, the other half of my brain who came up with the brilliant idea that sparked this fic!**

**Chapter 17: Sable**

Alex blearily opened her eyes, her head aching. The first thing she realised was that she had been moved. Bright light shone in the room, making her head hurt all the more. She realised she was lying on her side with handcuffs around her wrists. Rope was slowly burning its way into her legs, and duct tape was over her mouth. She knew that it wasn't there just to stop her from speaking without permission this time. She could hear people talking in the distance. The duct tape was there to prevent her from making any noise whatsoever.

"You're awake. Good," Ryan's voice sounded across the room that she was in.

Where was Gene? Had he been released? More importantly, where was she now? It looked like she was in a warehouse of some sort. As Alex took more in, she realised that she was in the same warehouse that Ryan had nearly killed the prostitute in.

"I didn't want to do this so soon, whore, but I had to. Your friend figured out who I was, and soon, the whole city is going to be looking for me. I wanted to let you redeem yourself after you were so bad when your friend was there. But I can't. This is it. This is how I'm going to cleanse your soul."

He wasn't wearing his balaclava, but that made him all the more frightening. His pointed face was solemn, yet there was some sort of happiness to his expression. An undercurrent of excitement buzzed in his voice. He was excited to "cleanse" her.

Though Alex knew now that there was an end in sight, she failed to get excited. She had gone too long without using that emotion to be able to find it now. She felt a slight relief flow through her body. Relief was something that she did know. Relief was when the obedience lesson was over, when he walked out of the room, when the collar was on. She realised that she wasn't in a collar at the moment and felt fear start curling in her belly.

"It's been several years since we've been in this warehouse together, hasn't it, whore? It's going to end differently this time, though. I'm not going to prison again. I was innocent last time, and I'll be able to prove my innocence now. I'm helping you, whore. You're going to be fruitful for God! But it has to be done right."

Ryan turned her onto her back, sitting on her chest, trapping her arms behind her back painfully. "I helped Delphine. I tried to help that prostitute. Nina? Was that her name? And the other one. I was going to help her too."

He dug his ring into her neck. Alex whimpered in pain.

"Saint George," he whispered. "Even though he was facing death, he announced his Christianity. He was martyred for his faith in Christ. Martyred, like Christ was martyred for you. But you don't care about that, do you? You turned your back on Christ a long time ago, didn't you whore? You had to have to become a whore like you are."

He pulled a knife from his pocket and unbuttoned the first two buttons of her nightshirt, pulling it down. Alex felt a burning across her breast.

"Whores aren't meant to be mothers."

Alex's eyes welled up with tears as his words cut her deeper than his knife ever could. She had been a bad mother to Molly. She had realised that at some point, she had left the world of the future, leaving her daughter behind. She was stuck in this world. And soon, she prayed, she'd be leaving it.

"Do you know what Jesus went through for you? He was interrogated like a criminal, even though he had done no wrong. He was beaten, flogged, and brutally murdered with thousands of people shouting for him to be killed. But he had done nothing. He was sinless. But he died for _you _whore, to make your life better, to forgive your sins. But because of your rejection, he went through it for nothing. Now, you, like him, are going to pay the ultimate price."

The fear in Alex's stomach increased as she realised what he meant. He was going to crucify her. Her last few hours on this earth were going to be spent hanging on a cross in excruciating pain.

He got off of her and picked her up. Alex felt wave after wave of fear build in her as she thought about how it was all going to end. Still, at least it _would_ end. She wouldn't have to suffer through any of his deluded "salvation" techniques anymore.

Ryan carried her across the warehouse. It was awkward and uncomfortable because her arms were hanging behind her. She tried not to shudder in his arms, tried not to show that she was afraid. Alex felt that it was no use, though. Surely her eyes betrayed her terror.

She couldn't help herself from trembling, however, when she saw the cross he had fashioned lying in the middle of the room. A plank was nailed across a wooden ladder. On each step of the ladder there was a nail sticking out an inch or so. In the middle of the plank, attached to an iron ring, was the short chained collar.

A chill ran down Alex's spine, causing her to shake in fear.

Ryan looked down at her and smiled widely. "I built it myself. It's rough, but it'll do nicely. It's not quite time for that, yet."

He sat her down on the floor and uncuffed one of her hands, moving her nightshirt down to her waist. He moved her hands down, putting the chain of the handcuffs through part of the rope wrapped around her legs. He then fastened the cuff around her wrist, trapping her in an awkward sitting position, her back bared.

Ryan squatted in front of her, holding what Alex recognised as a cat o' nine tails in his hands. "This is what I used on the DI. You're lucky though. You're only getting forty."

Alex was terrified. How could she escape when she was tied up like she was? She started pulling her hands, trying to wrench them out of the cuffs.

"That's not going to help," Ryan said laughingly, standing up and moving behind her.

Alex didn't listen, concentrating all her energy on wrenching her hands out of the cuffs. She was stopped when the whip crossed her back, stinging terribly. Alex fought not to cry out through the tape.

"Your DI refused to cry out until the end," Ryan said, continuing to whip her. "He got it worse too. I got to two hundred, and he was bleeding terribly. But still, he had to pay for his sins, and the Lord told me to continue until he cried out. He told me forty for you. It's from Deuteronomy. 'And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.' Deuteronomy 25, verses two and three."

Each lash caused the burning in her back to intensify. Alex was biting back tears as the man continued to speak.

"The Lord told me what punishment to bestow on each of the members of your CID. You all sinned when you worked on that case. You all helped the prostitutes. You prevented me from saving their souls."

Alex felt tears start leaking out of her eyes. Each lash bit into her skin, the sting of each tail getting worse.

"When I was in custody at your station, I heard your men talking about how you slept around with a Thatcherite. I saw you dance on the Sunborn. I knew that you were completely filthy, that you needed to be cleansed more than most souls. You were just a step up from a prostitute. Then, after I captured you, I heard you talking to the typist. You told her about your divorce, being with your boss, sleeping with him. You were filthier than I had imagined. But the Lord told me there was hope for you, so I didn't try to kill you."

The whip stopped. Alex's back was searing with pain, and she could feel blood running down it. Ryan removed the cuff from her right wrist. She wanted to punch him, but she couldn't because her hands were shaking badly in pain and terror.

Ryan just smirked, pulling her nightshirt back up and buttoning it. "You know, even your nightclothes show you're a sinning whore. Black is the colour of sin, and they hardly cover you, do they?" He recuffed her hands behind her back.

"Blood is red. Red is the atonement for sins. Only the red of your blood can wash out the black of your sins." He turned from her, walking away and bending down to pick something up off the ground.

"I didn't have the proper thorns to do this right," he said calmly, walking back towards her. "But I think the barbed wire makes up for it nicely, don't you?" He smashed it on her head, making sure each of the barbs punctured her skin.

"Now," he announced dramatically. "It's time."

Alex wanted to run, but could do nothing but shake as he laid her on the cross. Her whole body felt like jelly. He fastened the collar around her neck before taking her handcuffs off. "Just to make sure you don't try to escape," he said quietly.

Ryan pulled her left arm out, holding her wrist and fastening it to the plank with rope. He moved over to her right arm, doing the same thing. He then got up, moving to grab something. Alex heard the clink of metal as he knelt beside her and set something on the floor.

"I wasn't going to do this originally, you know," he said, putting a nail to the heel of her palm. "I was just going to tie you to the cross like you are now. Once you had repented, I was going to take you down and take you to a safe place, somewhere where you could live the rest of your life away from the corrupting influence of your friends. If you had lapsed, there would have been someone there to help you repent again, to bring you back to the new person you had become. Your life would have been much better. You would have had a name, a new name, something that showed you were a new person. It would have been perfect.

"But you turned away. You refused to let me help you. You were constantly defiant, you insulted me, you refused the food I gave you. I laboured on, continually trying to help you see where you had gone wrong. I was convinced that in the end, you could become the new person I hoped you would be. But then you tried to run. You tried to run away from me after I expressly told you not to. And you kissed him. When I saw that, I knew that I had to move your punishment to today. You'd never be able to change, even with time. I went and I prayed, and the Lord told me how to go about your punishment."

Ryan was quiet, the rope holding her wrist tightly even as she tried to wrench it away from him. In her disbelief and terror it seemed as though everything moved in slow motion as the hammer was lifted up and slowly fell down against the nail that was held against her palm.

~(*)~

She was fading in and out of consciousness now. Alex had no idea how long she'd been suspended in the air, hanging from the cross. After she was nailed securely, screaming through the duct tape in pain, Ryan had suspended the cross about ten feet in the air and left. Now her breast and back throbbed in unison with the searing pain that shot through her arms and legs with every breath she inhaled. She had been standing too long. She wanted to sit, but if she even tried the nails he had put on the steps dug into her back, the heads cutting against the marks from the whip.

The warehouse had faded to darkness a long time ago. Alex looked out of the window of the warehouse, staring at the moon. It lit the warehouse in its silver light, illuminating her brightly. From the shadows, she heard the sound of a footstep. She tried to turn and look, but could not move. A dark figure stepped into the moonlight, staring up at her.

"Alex," the figure whispered. It was the woman. Alex wanted to ask the woman who she was, but was unable to because of the tape over her mouth.

"Alex," the woman said again.

_Who are you? _she thought. _Why do you keep appearing?_

The woman smiled. "It's all over, Alex."

She started to walk away, her footsteps seeming to multiply into several as the world faded to black.

* * *

A/N: I used the heel of the hand because it is one of the most likely spots for the hands to have been nailed. There is a hole called the Space of Destot in between several carpals where a nail could go through. A nail pushing through the small space would move them, pushing them into the median nerve of the hand, causing extreme pain.

* * *

**...to be continued...**


	18. Scarlet

**Thank you all for the overwhelming response to this fic, especially the last chapter! I was amazed! Thanks to Gem6 and Ferndavant for betaing, and to Blue_Jackal for being my co-conspirator! :D**

**Chapter 18: Scarlet**

Gene paced angrily as he waited for Ray to come back with the files.

"Get a hold of yourself, Hunt!" Keats yelled. "Get moving. She's going to be crucified, and I bet since you figured out who he is, it's gonna happen soon. You know how it works, and I know how it works."

Gene stared at Keats icily, the silver blue eyes boring into the brown, not understanding why Keats suddenly wanted to find Alex after all the comments he had made. He decided he didn't care, and decided to yell instead. "Then get off your bloody high horse and help us find her!"

"Guv!" Ray yelled, running through the door. "I've got the files on Ryan Burns!"

Gene glared at Keats a moment more before breaking the eye contact and turning to Ray. "What have you got?"

"It looks like he was found innocent of the drugs charges," Ray answered crossly, handing the files to Gene.

Keats grabbed them before Gene, opening them and starting to read through the pages.

"I can't believe he got off after all the work I went through to..." Ray trailed off, looking at Keats.

"To what, Ray?" Keats asked, interested.

"To catch the bastard," Ray muttered nervously.

"But it was a plod that got the arrest, wasn't it?" Keats questioned, pointing to the file. "It says so right here."

"This isn't helping to find my DI!" Gene roared suddenly. "Keats, either help or get out! Preferably the latter! Ray, do we have an address?"

Ray ripped the file from Keats' hands and opened it, searching frantically for an address. Keats, finally silent, moved over to the desk that was now Liz's. He perched himself on the corner, watching the proceedings like a disinterested football fan.

Gene's shirt brushed against his back, making him wince as it throbbed once more. After Burns had thrown Alex across the room, he had placed a gun to Gene's head and forced him out of the room that was Alex's prison. With the muzzle still against his temple, Gene had been ordered to remove his shirt. Burns had then made him sit backwards on a chair, cuffing his wrists to the back, and started to whip him.

_"Forty," Burns said smilingly as he finished. The number for forgiveness." Burns had then uncuffed him, pulling him to stand up straight before beating him to the floor. Gene had tried to fight him off, but Burns had stopped him by putting the muzzle against his head once more._

_"Go ahead then," Gene had dared him. "Do it. Blow a hole in my head."_

_Burns had ignored him, simply recuffing Gene and leaving the flat. When he had come back, he had had a beam of wood. When the handcuffs had been undone for the second time, Gene had thrown a fist out wildly, grazing Burn's face. Burns had stumbled, but was back in a second, fastening the beam securely to Gene's wrists. _

_"The final humiliation," he had said, holding a ring of barbed wire. "Used by the Romans to force the fact into his head that, in their eyes, he was not really a king."_

"Guv," Ray's voice called loudly, snapping him out of his reverie, "Did you hear me?

Gene focussed back on Ray. "What?"

"Burns has a place on Whitecross Street. Should we go?"

"No, Ray. I think we should wait for him to call us for a cup of tea. Get your arse in the Quattro now! Skelton, you come too."

Gene stormed out of the office, flanked by Chris and Ray. Liz ran to keep up with him.

"I don't care what you say Gene. I'm coming with you as well. I'm your DI!"

Gene did nothing but give her his angriest glare. Unfazed, she hopped into the Quattro, Ray taking the front seat. Gene raced to Whitecross Street, and they all jumped out of the car and raced up the stairs to the flat that was Burns'. Gene kicked open the door.

The door banged open loudly, the sound echoing around the landing until it finally fell silent. The four moved silently into the flat, knowing that Burns could very well be hiding in there.

Everyone except Liz could tell that this wasn't the right place as soon as they stepped into the flat. The entire layout was wrong, even though it was on the fourth floor of the building. After a general sweep of the flat had revealed that Burns was not there, they started going through his things.

"Guv," Chris called suddenly.

"What is it?" Gene asked.

"There's something here, on this notepad. It says something about Spirit Quay."

"They've got a lot of abandoned flats there, don't they?" Liz asked suddenly.

Ray and Gene looked at each other. Bingo.

~(*)~

They knew the building as soon as they saw it. It was the only one four stories or more that was boarded up.

"He didn't really think that through, Guv, did he?" Ray asked. "Putting us on the fourth floor when there were only a few buildings that had four stories on the entire street?"

"Yeah," Gene replied, staring at it, "But we weren't supposed to figure it out, were we? We were supposed to run around London like we have been for the past six weeks."

They all stared at the building, knowing what they may see when they entered. Gene looked at his watch. Gone three in the afternoon. If Keats was right, every second they wasted could be another second that Alex drew nearer to death.

"Let's go," Gene announced. He strode to the door, the team following in a "V" formation behind him.

"Ray, knock it down," he commanded.

"But Guv, won't he hear us?"

"I don't give a shit if he hears us or not, Ray. Alex may be in there, and we are going to get her out, no matter what!"

Ray nodded, and shoved his shoulder against the door. A few more tries, and they broke through with a huge crash. They bundled in, moving quickly up the stairs, stopping dead at the landing. The door was open. It only meant one of two things when a door was open. Either Alex wasn't in there, or she was dead.

Gene practically ran into the flat, adrenaline pumping even more when he saw that the door to the room that was her prison was open. He flipped the switch to the room, blinking as the blinding light came on.

She wasn't in there. His heart rate dropped slightly. There was still a chance that she was alive.

"Jesus," Liz breathed from behind him. Gene had forgotten that Liz was even there. He realised that out of the four of them, she was the only one who had not been to the flat, but Ray and Chris were looking at the room in shock as well.

"The light was never on when I was here," Ray said quietly. "I had no idea..." He trailed off, continuing to look around the room.

"It wasn't near this bad when I was here," Chris replied.

Gene finally started to take the room in. There were various blood spatters on all the walls and on the wooden floor. A dog bowl was overturned, its contents strewn on the floor. Two collars were attached to the wall by heavy iron chains. One only hung down about a foot or so, but the other extended out, reaching about halfway out into the room.

Liz moved slowly into the room, transfixed at the sight of it. Her mouth hung open slightly as she moved toward the centre of the room.

"It's all true," she said disbelievingly.

"Why would we lie?" Gene asked shortly.

"No, not that. The fact that there _is _someone messed up enough to do this." A grin was slowly working itself onto her face. "Look. He's collared her to the wall, he must have beaten her dozens, no, s_cores _of times. He really treated her like someone would an animal. There's a dog bowl to prove that."

"Why are you smiling, Jones?" Ray asked angrily. She was grinning at Alex's misfortune, at the fact that she had been tortured relentlessly for the past six weeks.

"It's just the fact that this actually _happened! _This is simply bloody amazing. The way he's crafted this place is absolutely marvellous."

Gene was clenching and unclenching his hands, suppressing the urge to throttle Liz on the spot. "Fact of the matter is," he announced shortly, "Alex is still missing. And the longer we wait, the closer she is to death."

He glanced down at his watch. It was already half four. They had to find her soon. Time was running out.

~(*)~

"Prostitutes!" Ray yelled suddenly. The whole of CID looked up at him. It was gone nine at night now, the outside fading to black sometime earlier. Since the moment they had returned to CID they had all been poring over files, trying to figure out where Alex could be.

"Yes, Ray, we know. He had dealings with prozzies. What about it?" Gene asked, growing more worried and anxious with each passing minute.

"_No_ Guv. The prostitutes that Drake went to see. Remember? 'It was Sonya he went off with. It was a white escort.'"

"What the bloody hell does Sonya have to do with this?"

"Its not _who_ Guv. It's _where. _He went with Sonya to a warehouse. Now, he may be smart, but I'm betting that he goes to the same warehouse over and over again, cause he is a bit of a twat."

Gene almost smiled. Instead he fixed a glare on CID. "A-team! Car! NOW!"

They all scrambled out to the Quattro, none of them noticing that Keats was following behind them. Gene raced to where the warehouse was, swearing at the Quattro the whole time to go faster. Finally, after ten excruciating minutes, the tyres screeched to a halt in front of the warehouse.

It was completely still, almost like it had been two years previously. "Ray, Chris, Liz, you keep an eye out for Burns. I'm gonna go and look for Bolly."

They nodded, acknowledging their orders, when a sudden scurrying noise sounded to the right of them. Ray was off like a shot, catching the person who lurked in the shadows.

"It's him, Guv!" Ray cried triumphantly. Gene heard a grunt of pain as Burns undoubtedly had received a punch to the stomach.

"Right," Gene said, walking up to the man. "Where's Alex?"

"She's bowed her head and given up her spirit. Just like Jesus did in the book of John," Burns said, sounding dramatically happy.

Gene felt panic start to well in his stomach. Had Alex given up? He made his face a stoic mask and punched Burns in the nose. There was a cracking noise and blood started to flow. _"Where's Alex?" _he demanded.

Burns just looked at him, blood trickling slowly from his nose. "She's joining him in paradise," he whispered. "I saved her soul."

Burns doubled over from a kick to the groin. Gene could hardly conceal his panic now. Had it all been for nothing? Could he live with himself if she had really died?

"Ray, call for backup. Put him in the pool car. I'm not having him dirtying up the Quattro. Chris, you help Ray. Liz, call for an ambulance. I have a feeling we're going to need it. And don't you dare touch him. He may be scum, but I'm not having him let off for anything."

They all nodded, immediately moving to follow their orders. Gene had to send them all away. If Alex was dead, this was something that he was going to have to deal with fast, before they saw him, but at least he'd have a few moments to compose himself.

Gene walked through an open doorway of the warehouse, going into the part where, two years ago, Burns had held Sonya hostage. It was completely silent in there as well. There was a window directly across, with the moonlight shining in brightly, illuminating the room.

There was no sight of Alex. Gene's stomach sank even more.

Suddenly, something wet dripped on his face, running down his cheek like a tear. Gene raised his leather-clad hand to wipe it off. He looked at his fingers. Scarlet blood mixed with the sable of his glove. He looked up slowly.

"Shit!" he shouted.

Alex was hanging above him, blood smearing her face. A crown of barbed wire surrounded her head and duct tape covered her mouth. Her wrists were tied to the cross, and he could see the nails that had been forced into the heels of her hands. Her head was bent, her eyes closed. Blood was dripping from her hands and feet, as well as from the puncture wounds caused by the barbed wire.

"I'm here, Alex," he said loudly, on the off chance that she could hear him. Gene looked into the corner and saw a rope that had been tied around a beam. It was clearly keeping the cross in midair.

Gene ran to it and untied the knot, lowering her slowly to the ground. Once the cross was on the ground, he ran back to her, kneeling next to her head. He took off his glove and removed the duct tape covering her mouth. He put his hand over her mouth, praying that he'd feel her warm breath against it.

Gene sagged with relief when he felt her breath on his hand. She was alive. She was weak, but alive.

"Alex," he said. "Stick with me. Just hang on." He held onto her head, the only part of her that he dared lift from the cross. He didn't want to cause any more damage by trying to remove the nails from her hands and feet.

Alex's eyes started moving, and her eyelids opened weakly. She pulled her head out of his hands, her eyes terrified.

"Alex," he whispered again. She seemed to try to focus on him.

"Gene," she said quietly, barely even audible. However, the pain in every ragged breath she took was plainly heard.

"Ambulance is on its way, Bolls. Just hang on."

"Hurts," she muttered mostly to herself before looking up at him, her eyes desperate. "End it," she pleaded.

"No, you're gonna be fine."

Gene heard Ray's voice calling to him and stood immediately, not thinking as he turned away from her and stood in the doorway.

"Did you find her, Guv?"

"Yes," Gene replied shortly, trying to put on a brave face. "Where's the ambulance?"

"'Bout five minutes off. Did he...?" Ray trailed off, seeming to know the answer to his unasked question.

Gene merely nodded, swallowing hard. Suddenly, from behind him, he heard a horrible gagging noise. The gagging tailed off into a gurgle, followed by the sound of Alex gasping for air.

Gene spun around to see Keats kneeling beside Alex, her face in his hands. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she was staring at Keats like he was the devil himself. "Shh," he whispered. "Be still, Alex. Be still. Shh."

With a roar of anger, Gene tore Keats away from her, flinging him bodily across the room. He hadn't even noticed that Keats was following them.

Gene sat beside Alex, her gasps becoming slower. "Alex," he muttered. "Just hang on. Don't die on me, Bolls."

"She's as good as gone," Keats spat. "Just let her go, Hunt."

Gene ignored him, focussing all his attention on Alex. "C'mon Alex, just fight."

Alex looked at him, her eyes seeming not to see him. "Gene," she whispered, pain lacing even the single syllable, "Changed...my mind...I don't...don't want to go."

"Stay with me then, Bolly," he commanded. "C'mon, fight!"

"Don't...want..." she muttered before her body went limp and her eyes closed as the sound of an ambulance siren blared outside the warehouse.

**...to be continued...**


	19. Bloodless

**Okay...first off my major apologies to Rolephant, who shall prolly end up calling me a git by the end of the day for feeding false spoilers :D (I do it to everyone who asks for spoilers...)**

**A HUGE thank you to all of you that read and review and add to your story alert or your favs! (Its amazing!) And thank you to Bloo, who is still helping me plot this fic even though I have finished writing it...  
**

**Chapter 19: Bloodless**

The door closed with a snap, causing Alex to jump as the PC who had just walked in moved to stand in the corner. She stared at the door, feeling claustrophobia setting in.

"Interview commenced at14.08," said a man's voice. "Present in the room are DCI Maxwell Williams, PC Roger Haymes, DI Alex Drake." Alex didn't move, continuing to stare at the door throughout the opening statement to the recorder.

"Alex," the DCI continued, "Can you look at me?"

Alex looked down at her lap, willing the door to open. It wouldn't open on its own though. It would stay shut through however long she had to stay in here, mocking her. She couldn't leave until they told her to. Even though she was free, she was still in prison. Since she had woken up in hospital, she had been told where she could go, when she could move, when she could leave.

"Alex," the man's voice repeated. Even though it was gentle, the sound of the clear tenor made panic well in her stomach. "I just need you to point at the photo of the man who did this. That will be a formal identification."

Alex said nothing, playing with the plasters that still covered her hands. The doctors had told her that the nerves had been pinched by the position of the nails in her hands, but there would be no lasting damage. Ryan had placed the nails on her feet just next to the nerve, causing her pain, but she could now walk around, as long as she walked gingerly. She could move her hands clumsily, but her movements were becoming sharper and more defined by the day.

"I'm going to set the photos out now, Alex," the man's voice said. Alex kept her eyes down, wishing that there was someone in the interview room besides her, the DCI and the PC watching in the corner.

The DCI had introduced himself as Max Williams, instructing her to call him Max. Alex had not said a word.

Gene had arranged for her to do the interview at Fenchurch East because it would be more comfortable for her, but another station was handling the case. She wished that it was Gene standing in the corner instead of the PC.

Gene had been remarkably caring since she had woken up in the hospital. He had made sure to visit her every day, always bringing her something to read. He would talk to her, not caring that she couldn't look at him, that she wouldn't respond. She'd respond to direct questions, but found it incredibly difficult to carry on a normal conversation.

"Alex," DCI Williams said. "Can you please look at the photo?"

Alex resigned herself and started to look up to stare at the photo. She didn't know why they wanted her to identify the man. Gene had been adamant that it was Burns, and they had even caught Burns on site. But when she had let it slip that she'd seen Burns without the balaclava, Williams had asked her to make a formal identification. She'd looked down, trying to find the words to refuse him.

"I guess," she had muttered quietly. Gene had made the arrangements from there, promising he would be in there the whole time, but a case had called CID out at the last moment. He'd asked her if she would be alright, if she wanted to change the time, but Alex had said no. She just wanted this over with.

There was a knock on the door and it opened. Alex felt some of the claustrophobia leave her as Shaz walked through the door.

"WPC Granger entered the room at 14.15," Williams said for the benefit of the recorder. "Do you need something?"

"Er..." Shaz said, uncertain of what to say next. "Erm...DCI Hunt asked me to sit in on the interview with the Ma'am. He said that he had told her he would be in, but couldn't, so he asked me to come instead."

Alex felt gratitude towards Gene building. She had never expected him to be that thoughtful.

DCI Williams simply smiled. "Of course, Granger. Have a seat."

Shaz sat next to Alex and smiled at her. Alex tried to smile, but looked quickly back down at her lap.

"Alex," said Williams, his voice almost pleading, "All I need you to do is look and nod."

Alex nodded and moved her eyes, scanning the photo on the table. She froze, staring at the cold blue eyes. They stared back at her, the smug authority hidden in them captured perfectly by the camera. A small smirk was on his face.

Alex felt her hands start shaking. She tried to nod but her body was frozen in place.

"Ma'am, it's okay," Shaz whispered, careful not to touch her. Since she had woken up, Alex had refused to let anyone touch her except the nurses in hospital. After a few incidents in hospital that had ended in sedation after someone had unthinkingly laid their hand on her arm or hand, everyone made sure their hands were kept safely in their pockets.

Shaz carefully flipped the photo over. "Ma'am. It's just a photo. He's locked up. He can't hurt you at all." She looked at Williams. "Get us some tea. Black."

Williams opened his mouth to argue but Shaz fixed him with a look so similar to Gene's that he left the room, muttering his exit for the tape still rolling.

"Interview suspended at 14.21," Shaz muttered, shutting off the recorder. "Ma'am, do you want me to call the Guv?"

Alex shook her head no. "Can you...can you open the door, Shaz?" she asked quietly.

Shaz looked at her and nodded, standing to open the door. The claustrophobia that had been building again dissipated once more.

"I can't even look at the photo, Shaz," Alex whispered.

"Just let me talk to him for you when he gets back, ma'am," Shaz said. "He doesn't understand anything."

Alex nodded, pulling her oversized jumper down over her hands. She stared back down into her lap again, wishing she was anywhere but this place, except for her flat. She couldn't go back to her flat. When the doctors had started talking about discharging her, she had grown terrified of the idea to returning to where Ryan had kidnapped her. To where she had drunk the wine that had caused the whole nightmare. When Gene had suggested that she stay at his to recover for a few weeks, she had jumped at the offer, ready for any excuse to stay away from her flat.

"The Guv was really mad that he had to go out on the case," Shaz told her quietly. "He really wanted to be here."

Alex merely nodded, staring down at the stark white of the plasters covering the holes in her hands which were slowly healing into the scars that would last for the rest of her life.

DCI Williams walked in the door, three mugs of tea held in his hands. He handed one to Shaz and set one in front of Alex.

"Ma'am, drink some of your tea. It's good for a shock."

Alex just looked at it. It was still odd for her to consider eating off of plates, using silverware, drinking out of cups and glasses. Anytime someone set anything in front of her, she half expected it to be taken away and replaced with a dog bowl. She expected to be told that she didn't deserve to be able to eat or drink like a human. She was waiting, just waiting, for someone to call her an animal.

Williams looked from Alex to Shaz. "Can we resume the interview? Haymes, shut the door."

Alex looked to Shaz with a panicked expression.

"Sir," Shaz said. "DI Drake has requested that the door remain open. It'll make her feel more comfortable."

To her relief, Alex saw Williams smile out of the corner of her eye. "It's not exactly normal interviewing procedure, but I think we can make an exception for DI Drake," he said kindly. "PC Haymes, please stand in the doorway and make sure we're not disturbed."

Alex heard Haymes move and the recorder click on. Her eyes had not strayed from the mug of steaming tea in front of her. She was aware of Shaz looking at her, silently encouraging her to take a sip of tea.

"Interview resumed at 14.35. Present in the room are DCI Max Williams, PC Roger Haymes, WPC Sharon Granger and DI Alex Drake," he said, before turning back to Alex.

"Now, Alex. You don't have to say a word if you don't want to. All I need you to do is nod your head yes or no. Can you do that?" He spoke to her as if addressing a child.

Alex knew that she should be angry that he was addressing her in that way, but all she could think was that it was a step up from how she had been talked to for so long. It was almost becoming normal for people to address her like she was five. It had been that way ever since she had woken up in the hospital. Alex had found she didn't mind it as much as she would have two months previously, before this nightmare had ever happened. It made her feel as though she was slowly being accepted back into human society, that maybe she wasn't the animal that she had started to think she was.

Alex nodded her head slowly, hands playing constantly with the plasters on her hands, her eyes fixated on the mug.

"Was the photo on the table a photo of the man that held you hostage for six weeks?"

Alex nodded, feeling the rush of fear as she thought of the photo again.

"DI Drake has just answered yes. Now Alex, was the man's name Ryan Burns? Just tell me yes or no."

Alex realised suddenly that if DCI Williams just stated her nodding her head, it might not hold down in court. She had to speak to answer his questions. She had to put the man away.

"Yes," Alex whispered hoarsely, now staring at the recorder. She felt the room's atmosphere change to surprise, but Williams continued as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

The questions continued, one by one, all only requiring one syllable to answer. Williams was not trying to hurt her, but every question he asked made her relive the experience, made her want to disappear inside a hole and never come out. Shaz kept throwing her encouraging glances, nodding support the whole way through.

"Interview completed 15.45," Williams said after what seemed like an eternity. He clicked off the recorder and smiled at her. Alex still had not looked at him straight into the face. She had kept her eyes on her tea, Shaz, or her lap throughout the entire interview.

"You're free to go, Alex," Williams said.

Alex stood numbly and walked out the door, stopping dead on the spot when the PC's arm accidentally brushed against her as he moved out of her way.

"Ma'am?" Shaz asked, concerned.

_Calm down, Alex,_ she thought to herself, as her heart rate skyrocketed and her breathing quickened. _Control._

But how could she control herself? How could she stop herself from the panic?

"Alex?" DCI William's voice asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

Alex stood rooted to the spot as a choking sensation overwhelmed her. Her stomach was rolling. Her hands started shaking and she felt dizzy.

Alex was aware of voices talking behind her, but could not make out what they said. It didn't matter anyway. She was going to die, standing in the middle of a doorway.

"Ma'am," Shaz's voice said calmly, "I'm going to take your arm, just by your elbow. We're going to go outside. I'm only going to touch your elbow. Not any part of your arm or your shoulder. Just your elbow." Alex felt the promised pressure on her elbow and let Shaz guide her along, desperate for open air. Her heart was still racing, and she was breathing faster than ever, even though it felt as though someone had cut off all her oxygen.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they were outside.

"Sit down, ma'am," Shaz's said soothingly. Alex sat, feeling dizzy from hyperventilation.

"Good. Now I know this is difficult, but try to control your breathing. Purse your lips."

Alex obeyed, pursing her lips and concentrating on her breathing. Slowly, her breath returned to normal and her heart slowed.

"Better?" Shaz asked kindly.

"Yes," Alex whispered. "Thanks."

"It's nothing, ma'am. I had a cousin who used to get panic attacks all the time. Before he got Valium we had to calm him down naturally."

Alex said nothing, just nodded her head to indicate that she had heard.

"C'mon, ma'am," Shaz said quietly. "Let's take you back to the Guv's house. I'll have someone tell him where you went."

Alex nodded and slowly got to her feet, staying silent the entire ride back to Gene's house, cursing to herself. She knew Ryan couldn't get her, but she was still afraid. Her strength was gone. Ryan had succeeded. She could no longer control herself. She was too much of an animal.

~(*)~

The sunlight streamed in the window onto the couch where Alex sat, staring blankly at the television. Gene sat next to her, close enough that she could feel his presence, but far enough away that they couldn't accidentally brush each other. The television droned in the background but neither was really watching, each lost in their own thoughts. Gene had handled a huge case that day, getting home gone seven. She knew he had skipped Luigi's, preferring to come home and check on her.

Shaz had sat with her until Gene got home. The young woman hadn't said much, only asking what she wanted for dinner and saying goodnight. Gene had come in a few moments later, his eyes flicking to the coffee table, where her food sat untouched.

"I'm going to get myself some dinner," he had said. "Do you want anything?"

Alex shook her head no and he had left quietly, returning after about ten minutes with toast and soup. Not another word had been spoken since, each too preoccupied with what their days had encompassed.

Alex looked at the clock. It was half eight. She felt her eyes growing heavy but refused to let them close. Every time she fell asleep, she was back with him, back in the nightmare. Alex felt the weight on the sofa leave and looked up as Gene stood.

"D'you want some tea?" he asked, rubbing his neck. Alex felt bad as she shook her head no. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with her the way she was, and she wasn't helping any by refusing everything offered to her.

Gene picked up the plates and shuffled out of the room awkwardly. She heard him moving around up in the kitchen, the noise drowning out the TV slightly. He came back in the room a while later with two mugs of tea in his hands.

"I thought...er...if you changed your mind..." Gene muttered. Alex nodded and he set the cup in front of her. Alex didn't move, continuing to stare blankly at the telly.

"You know," Gene said, making a stab at conversation. "I haven't seen you drink anything since you got out of hospital."

Alex controlled a shudder. The nurses in hospital had been just as bad as Ryan Burns, forcing her to eat and drink. Since she had been released two days previously, she had not eaten anything and drank maybe three glasses of water.

"D'you...d'you think you could try to drink the tea?" Gene asked her gently. "Let me see that you're eating and drinking, that you're trying to help yourself."

Alex stared at the mug, daring herself to pick it up and drink out of it. Part of her wanted to drink it, but there was something inside her mind that made her refuse.

"There's nothing in it, Alex," Gene stated calmly. "No sugar or anything. It's plain black tea."

Alex continued to stare at the cup, finally reaching out for it as the news started. Quietly, she took a sip. It tasted good, far better than she had had for a long while.

"Good job," she heard Gene say uncertainly. Alex was hit with a sudden desire to put the cup down. With those two words, he had just reinforced what she had told herself earlier.

_Animal,_ she thought sadly. _Even to him._

Gene didn't seem to notice the change in her mood. She kept a hold of her mug, deciding not to take another sip of it and looked at the television with renewed interest.

_The date in the case against Ryan Burns was set today for the 3__rd__ of December. _The screen changed from the anchor to a photo of Ryan Burns. He was staring at her, mocking her. Alex felt the grip on the mug tighten, and Gene reached for the remote.

_Ryan Burns is accused of the kidnap, rape and attempted murder of Detective Inspector Alex Drake..._

The television turned black. Alex was aware of Gene staring at her, saying something, but she didn't hear anything. She was back in her prison. Ryan was there, in the room. He was more than likely angry with her. Alex stood suddenly, dropping her tea to the floor and running up to the room that she was staying in, stumbling up the stairs until she finally got to the landing. She ran into her room, locking the door and opening the windows.

The cold air billowed in, but she didn't care. She was away from Ryan now. She would be okay.

_Not an animal,_ she told herself. _I'm not. I'm not._

"Alex?" Gene's muffled voice called to her from outside the door. "Are you okay? Alex?"

The handle jiggled, and Alex heard him swear. "Alex, can you open the door?"

Alex did nothing, sitting against the wall, staring out the window.

"Bolly, open the door now!" he commanded. Alex froze. He was commanding her. He was treating her like Ryan did. How long would it be before he called her 'Animal' as well? Alex knew that she had to open the door or his anger would get worse. Slowly, she walked over to the door and unlocked it. She opened it, seeing Gene's face change from anger to remorse in a second.

"Alex..." he started, but was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Gene gave her a despairing look. "Don't move," he said. "I'll be right back."

Alex heard him walking down the stairs and the sound of the door opening. She heard Gene's voice, sounding surprised, and then a woman's voice. Ignoring Gene's order to not move, she snuck down the stairs until she could see the front door.

There was a brunette woman with her arms around Gene, wrapping him in a tight embrace. Alex stared at the woman's face a moment before running back up the stairs, tears in her eyes.

That was the woman she had kept seeing when she had been held hostage. Gene really was seeing someone else. She'd never meant anything to him. All she was, and ever would be, was an animal.

**...tbc...**


	20. Pallid

**Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this fic! Thanks to you all for reading and reviewing, and adding to favs. Thanks of course to Blue_Jackal for giving me the inspiration to this story. This chapter is unbetad, please excuse mistakes.**

_That was the woman she had kept seeing when she had been held hostage. Gene really was seeing someone else. She'd never meant anything to him. All she was, and ever would be, was an animal._

**Chapter 20: Pallid**

She huddled in the room, the windows blasting cold air on her. She was freezing cold, but she didn't care. Gene was seeing the woman. He didn't really care about her. Suddenly, a thought popped into her head. He had the woman, so why did he want her here?

Alex remembered him earlier. He had commanded her to open the door, as if he thought he was her master. Like Ryan had used to command her. Gene wouldn't let her be by herself. Was he afraid she'd run away?

_He's going to keep me, _Alex thought suddenly. _He's going to make me his animal. I'm not his. I'm not anyone's. _

Alex stared at the open window. She had to get away from him. She wouldn't be anyone's animal anymore.

~(*)~

"Gene!" Annie said, releasing him. "It's been years. You said you'd come back and visit!"

"Er...sorry, Annie," Gene muttered. "Been busy...Clearing the streets, you know. What're you doing down here anyway?"

"I was on my way to the hotel and decided to stop and say hi. I've been seconded to Scotland Yard for a few months. They're working on something to make the whole force work more efficiently, and apparently I've annoyed the DCI enough that he recommended me for it to get me out of his way."

Annie laughed, but the happiness that filled her face could not completely eradicate the sorrow that still lingered there.

"How are you doing, since...?" Gene trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

Annie's face sobered. "About as good as I can. It was a horrible shock. It took me some time to be able to go out in public without having to cry when I got home. Everywhere I looked I saw places that Sam loved to go, couples out, laughing. Everything reminded me of him. You know that. That's why you left. But I don't think you realise how much you helped when he died. I never got to thank you for it. So...thank you."

Gene looked down. Gene and Annie had grown closer during the time Sam and her had been married. Gene had spent a lot of time at Sam and Annie's, staying away from home, from his wife, and they had been more than happy to let him stay. Annie would often stay in the room when Sam and Gene would be drinking, and after a while, joined in. Good natured teasing between Gene and Annie was not uncommon. After Sam had disappeared, he had comforted Annie the best he could, comforted her as though she was his own sister. When Gene had left, he had felt guilty leaving her alone, but she had said that she'd be alright, her mother was staying for a few weeks. Gene had promised to visit, but never went back, not wanting to face the memories.

"How are you, Gene? You look tired. It's not like you to not go to the pub after work. I went to CID and then to Luigi's, but they said you'd gone straight home."

"Haven't been getting much sleep." It was true. The past two nights Alex had woken him in the middle of the night, screaming. The first night, he had gone in and tried to wake her. When she had woken up, she had fought against him until she realised who she was. She broke down into sobs, moving away from him. Gene had wanted to hold her, to let her cry into his shoulder, but he couldn't. No one could touch her. She had eventually cried herself to sleep, and Gene had gone back to his room.

The next night he waited until the screaming had stopped before he went into her room. She was sitting wide eyed in the middle of the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. Gene sat on the corner of her bed, feeling her shrink away slightly from him.

"_I'm not going to touch you, Alex," Gene said. "See?" He had sat on his hands, giving her a rare small smile. When he had looked at her, she looked away, refusing to look him in the eye. _

"_They gave you some sleeping pills in hospital, didn't they Bolls?" he asked quietly. "Why don't you take one of those? You won't dream then."_

_Alex had shaken her head vehemently. _

"_Why not? C'mon Alex, just speak." She had looked at him then, a dull fire of anger glowing in her dead hazel eyes. Gene had no idea what he had said to make her angry._

_She swallowed and took a deep breath in. "I won't take sedatives," she said quietly, her voice still hoarse. _

"_But why?" Gene persisted._

_The fire had burned brighter for a moment before she looked away. "The first time I was sedated, I woke up in someone else's flat. The second time, I ended up chained to a wall. The third I woke up in his arms. And the fourth...I..." She trailed off, looking at her hands and playing with the plasters. "In hospital, they sedated me, and always treated me like something...inferior when I woke up. What happens the next time I wake up?"_

"_You'll be in this bed," Gene had responded firmly. "Either Shaz or I will be downstairs. No one can get you here."_

"_No one could get me there either, Gene," she whispered. _

"_Alex..."_

_She shook her head. "I won't take them, Gene. You can try all night, or you can to bed and go to CID well rested tomorrow."_

_Gene had nodded, and left the room, spending the rest of the night awake_.

"What's been going on?" Annie asked, bringing him back to the present.

"I've got my DI staying for a while," he answered honestly. "She has nightmares and refuses to take anything to help her sleep."

"She?" Annie asked smilingly.

Gene shook his head. "It's not like that, Annie. You must have heard about it. Ryan Burns? Kidnapped and crucified a DI?"

Annie's mouth dropped open. "Oh god."

"It's bad, Annie. I never thought I'd say this, but I think she needs to talk to someone. But if I say anything about it, she shakes her head and refuses to speak."

Annie looked thoughtful. "She doesn't know who I am, does she?"

"She knows _of _you," Gene responded. "She knew Sam somehow. Wouldn't talk much on it. Just said he had undergone trauma."

Annie frowned. "Sam never mentioned anything about trauma."

"Like I said, she wouldn't explain, and at that point, I was more intent on trying to get her to shut up than anything else." Gene gave a small smile at the memory.

"Maybe I could talk to her, Gene."

"She doesn't talk. She only answers direct questions, and if it's yes or no, she'll shake her head."

It was his fault. If he had found her sooner, Ryan wouldn't have had a chance to nail her to the cross. She would have been fine.

"She's _traumatised, _Gene. It's only natural for her to stop talking. She doesn't want to talk to anyone about it, because she feels they won't understand."

"Psychobollocks," Gene muttered. Now if only it was Alex uttering them, things would be almost back to normal.

Annie sighed. "Where is she? Let me guess, she's sitting within earshot and has heard everything, right?"

"No. She's upstairs in her bedroom," he said, feverishly hoping that Alex hadn't decided to come down and listen in on the last of their conversation. Gene was relieved to not see Alex hiding on the staircase as they walked up to her room.

Her door was closed. Gene swore underneath his breath. "She was in a state when she came up here earlier. It's probably locked." He knocked on the door. "Alex?"

There was no response. Gene knocked again. "Alex? There's someone to see you."

There was still nothing. Gene tried the handle, surprised to see it was unlocked. Gene swung the door open wide, only to be stopped in shock when he entered the room. The room was exactly how it was earlier, windows open wide with the cold wind blowing in. There was one difference though. Alex wasn't there.

He ran to the window. No one could be seen down in the garden either. "Shit!" Gene swore. "Annie, go downstairs and see if Alex is down there. If she's not..." Gene left his sentence hanging as Annie ran out of the room.

~(*)~

Her bare feet slapped the streets, making them burn. The scabs from the nails had fallen off and her feet were bleeding, but she didn't care, continuing to run, having no idea where she would go. To Luigi's? No, the team was there. They'd be sure to call Gene. She couldn't go to her flat. She couldn't face it. Alex stopped in the middle of the street, deciding. The wind whipped around her, freezing her, making her wish she had grabbed a jacket or at least some socks before she left.

She had to get somewhere warmer fast. Where could she go? Suddenly, an idea came to her. CID was empty this time of night, and the police station would be on skeleton staff. She could slip in the back and no one would know she was there. Alex knew she'd have to leave before morning, but she could worry about where to stay later.

She ran through the streets, not paying any attention to the people staring at her, giving her odd looks. She needed to get to the station. Finally, she reached it, and stepped quietly through the back entrance. The hallways were dark and empty as she made her way up to CID.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw CID was black. She went into the office, only turning on a lamp to light the room. Alex looked around at the room. She hadn't been in CID since the day she had been kidnapped. She had gone to the station today, but that was only to give her statement. She had only looked in CID long enough to see her replacement sitting at her desk before she looked away.

Alex stared at her desk. It had been so long since she sat there, but it was still covered in papers like it had been the day she had been kidnapped. Alex knew, however, that if she looked down at those sheets, they would not be covered in her handwriting.

She looked away from her desk to the whiteboard. It was covered with the latest crime, something to do about three men that had been strangled to death. Alex turned from the board, taking everything in. CID looked exactly the same. She didn't know what she expected. Maybe a little difference, something that indicated they had been missing their normal DI?

Alex sighed to herself. She was being ridiculous. The station couldn't stop working because she had gone through hell.

Alex moved over to her desk, running her hand along the cool wood. She sat in the chair, looking at the empty room. Had she really felt powerful sitting here? As though nothing could touch her? Had she once felt in control? Alex sighed softly. Any illusion of power this desk had once provided was gone. It had been ripped away along with her dignity. She was nothing now. Even to Gene.

Alex heard the sound of voices in the corridor and moved to switch off the light. The room faded into darkness as two figures came into view outside the office. It was Gene and the woman. She hid behind a desk, watching them.

"Gene. Just leave it be. You couldn't have done anything," the woman said, her voice slightly muffled by the glass. Alex's stomach dropped as she realised what she was hearing. This was her dream...her nightmare. There was something wrong with the conversation, however. The woman had said something else, hadn't she?

"It's all my fault. The fact that...it happened." Gene looked down, seeming upset.

"It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, except for the man who did this," the woman responded firmly.

"I know. It's just..."

"You feel guilty." The woman stepped closer to him and Alex's stomach dropped more. The conversation may not be right, but they were going to hug like she had seen. The ring was even glittering from the woman's finger.

"Yeah."

"Don't feel guilty, Gene. No one asked for it to happen. Not her, not you. But Gene, no matter what, we'll all work through it together."

Gene stared at the woman, an expression of understanding and sorrow in his eyes. The woman hugged him, and he responded, albeit a little reluctantly.

"We're in public," he said flatly. The woman straightened immediately and smiled at him.

"Right, sorry. You forget this after it's been so long."

Alex felt as though her heart had been wrenched from her chest. They had been together for a while. Long enough that the woman didn't mind hugging him in public. She choked back a sob, not wanting them to hear her. She rested her back against the desk, hoping they'd just go away. Her wish was not granted however. A few seconds later, the lights turned on, causing a flare of panic in her stomach that she did her best to suppress. She closed her eyes and forced herself to take deep breaths.

"Alex?" she heard the woman's voice call gently. Alex opened her eyes slowly to see the woman's bright blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hi, Alex," the woman said, smiling at her. "We haven't met yet. My name's Annie."

Alex just glared at her.

"Can you say anything to me Alex? I've heard what happened, I'm a DS. But I know you must be dying to say something."

Alex stared at the woman's finger, feeling surprise when she realised it was a wedding ring. Why was she wearing a wedding ring?

The woman glanced down at her hand. She laughed and looked at Gene. "I forget I still wear it." She turned to Alex. "Do you like it? I was married in 1974. Have you been married, Alex? You can just shake your head yes or no if you don't want to speak to me."

Alex stared at the woman. Nothing was making sense. If she was married, was she having an affair with Gene? Maybe if she answered the woman's questions, she could get a better idea.

Alex slowly nodded her head.

"Did you two split up?"

Alex nodded, still staring at the woman untrustingly.

"Annie," Gene interrupted. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up, Gene. Go have a scotch or something."

"You've gotten bossy, woman."

The woman looked back at Alex. "That's too bad," she said.

Alex shook her head no.

"It was alright with you?"

Alex nodded.

"Did you initiate it?"

Alex nodded again.

"Why?"

"That's not a yes or no question," Alex whispered hoarsely.

The woman smiled at her. "I know. I'm sorry. But you talked, didn't you?"

Alex glared at her. "I _can_ talk. I just choose not to."

"But _why?"_

Alex stared at her. Annie smiled, holding her hands up. "Sorry. You don't even know me."

"I know something," she said.

"I know you know things Alex. You're very intelligent. Gene was telling me that you are a psychologist."

"Yes," Alex said. "So I know there's something going on between you two. You're strangely close," she said accusingly.

Annie looked at her in surprise, mouth open. She looked at Gene. "Alex, it isn't like that. Gene and my husband were best mates. He's like my brother."

Alex stared at her angrily. "Ray told me that he was seeing someone, when I was..." She trailed off, staring at Annie accusingly. Annie just looked at Gene.

"Gene?" Annie asked.

"Trust Ray," Alex heard him mumble. "I did," he admitted. "I saw Liz for a while. I tried to go off her, but she turned up when Ray went missing. The night Ryan got me, I had...had been at her flat."

Alex's fists clenched. Annie noticed this. "Alex," she said. "Let your emotions out. Don't bottle them in. You're not an animal."

Alex stood, some strange force propelling her forward, picking up her wrist and making her punch Gene in the face.

"You _shagged _her?" she screamed. "When I was in hell? 'Don't die Alex, I'll have nothing left to live for!' Let me guess, all the while you were planning what you'd do to _Liz _when you got back! Do you know what he was doing to me while you were shagging her?"Alex stopped, panting as she realised what she had just done. She had just yelled at someone. She had almost been defiant. Gene was staring at the floor. A horrible thought crossed her mind.

"Are you just letting me stay to assuage your guilt?" she breathed. Tears formed in her eyes and started running down her face. Gene looked up then, his eyes full of guilt.

"No, Alex..."

"Gene," Annie interrupted. "Go home. We'll meet you there."

Gene stared at Annie a moment, unmoving.

"Gene," she said pleadingly.

Gene sighed, reaching into his pocket and handing Annie a tenner. "For the cab." He started walking out of the office, turning to where Alex now sat on the ground, arms wrapped around her legs, tears pouring down her face.

"Bye Bolly," he said softly, apologetically.

Alex said nothing, staring at the ground once more. Whatever force that had pushed her earlier, that had enabled her to look in his eyes, had disappeared completely. She was back to feeling weak and vulnerable, a feeling that she had always hated.

Annie sat down across from her, relaxing against the desk. She said nothing for several minutes, letting Alex simply cry until the tears stopped coming. When Alex finally stopped, gasping and hiccupping, Annie finally spoke.

"Tea, I think," she said, standing. "If you don't want to move, you don't have to. It's all _your _decision."

Annie disappeared into the canteen, emerging several minutes later with two steaming mugs of tea. She handed Alex a mug, sitting down across from her once more.

"I've know you're a psychologist, so you know what you're going through," Annie started earnestly. "It doesn't help much, does it? Because, since you're the psychologist, you should know how to get through it, right?"

Alex resisted nodding in agreement. She still didn't trust this woman, even though something inside her was telling her to.

"I'm going to be honest. I've never gone through anything like you have. I have absolutely no idea exactly how you're feeling right now, and I'm not going to pretend I do. But what I do know is that everyone's extremely concerned, Alex. Gene said you refuse to eat. You don't talk to anyone, you don't look at anyone. Surely you must be ready to burst? Don't you hate to keep it all inside like that?"

Alex just stared at the mug of tea in her hands. Annie was getting too close, delving too far into her emotions.

Suddenly Annie smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm giving you the twenty questions, and you hardly know who I am."

Alex nodded, still looking at the mug.

"Alright then," Annie said. "We'll start from the beginning. My name's Annie Tyler. I used to be Annie Cartwright, but I was married to a man named Sam Tyler in 1974."

Alex looked up at her. _This_ was Sam's Annie?

"Gene said you knew Sam somehow. Something about a trauma."

Alex nodded, still refusing to use her voice. Annie, sensing that Alex was not going to explain, continued.

"I work up in Manchester as a DS, but I'm down here because I've been seconded to Scotland Yard for several months. I haven't seen Gene since he moved down here in 1980, after my Sam died. Have you heard about that?"

Alex nodded.

"Good," Annie said. "I don't really like to talk about it much. Even though it happened three years ago, it still hurts. I can understand why you don't want to talk about it. Stop me if I'm wrong. Every time you're asked to recount it, you live in those moments for the next several hours. That's how I was with Sam. I always thought of our last day together. What I said to him, what I should have said."

Alex nodded again, staring at this woman for the first time with her guard down. "I always think of the argument," she whispered. "If I hadn't kicked him out of the flat, he would have never left me at the crime scene. Even if...he...had planted the wine, Gene would have been there. It wouldn't have happened. None of it." She unconsciously started to tug at the plasters on her hands.

"The thing is, Alex," Annie said softly. "We can't continue on with the what-ifs. I could go on forever with them for the last day of Sam's life. And you could do the same, with what happened. But can you imagine, Alex, staying silent for the rest of your life? Can you imagine staring at a wall being the only thing you do for the rest of your life?"

"I _want_ to do things," Alex replied. "But I _can't._ There's something that won't let me do anything I want to do. There's somewhere inside of me that's convinced that...he's...around the corner, listening, ready to punish me. Even though I know he's not, he's in jail, I still think he might be."

Annie smiled understandingly. "That's perfectly normal, as you should well know. The key is letting people help you take the small steps to return to the way you were before."

"I can't trust people!" Alex cried, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't even trust Gene. He _slept_ with someone while I was in that...that hell! Then he got kidnapped and pretended that he cared about me, that he'd been searching for me the whole time. But no, he was _shagging _my _replacement."_

"Alex, think about this rationally. Gene doesn't really think things out, does he? My guess is that she flirted with him endlessly one night and he got drunk, or he was really angry, so he slept with her. There was nothing behind it. But he's felt guilty about it ever since. Did you hear how he told you he slept with her? He regrets it, Alex. He loves you. You _can_ trust Gene. Let him help you, Alex."

Alex nodded, staring back down at her mug of tea. It was cold now and her legs had grown numb from sitting on the floor for so long.

"Are you ready to go back, Alex?" Annie asked. "Can you face him?"

Alex looked up at Annie and gave a soft smile. It was the first smile she had given in over two months. "Small steps," she said.

Annie smiled and nodded. "Small steps," she agreed.

**...tbc...**


	21. Snow

**The time has come, my readers, for us to part ways with this story. Yes, this is the final chapter. It has been nearly a year since I posted my first chapter on this site, and I want to thank you all tremendously, from the ones who read what I posted that first day, to those that just started reading with this chapter. Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews, they actually cheer me up on bad days. Thank you so much for all of you who have put this story on your alerts and to all of you who have added to your favourites, and to everyone who has read this for making it my most popular story.**

**Another HUGE thank you to Blue_Jackal, without whom, this fic would not exist at all. And thank you also to Rolephant, to Ferndavant, and to Bloo again for encouraging me to keep writing.**

**Now, the final chapter.  
**

**Chapter 21: Snow**

_She sat in the corner of the room, staring at the spot where she knew the door to be. She prayed it wouldn't open. He had been in a bad mood lately, and she knew that obedience lessons were imminent when he was angry. It seemed like she could do nothing to please him when he got like this. All she could do was hope that it would not happen the next time he came in. _

"DI Drake?"

_The door slammed open, the man stalking angrily into the room. He held her food bowl in his hand. _

"_Eat."_

_Alex quietly took a bit of the unidentifiable meat, swallowing it down with difficulty. _

"_You know, you're lucky. Some animals don't get fed once a day. Their masters aren't nice enough to let them out of their cages after only a few days."_

_Alex said nothing, staring down at the floor._

"_Of course, not all animals try to hang themselves either."_

_Alex looked up at him, wanting to tell him what really happened._

"_Did I say you could look at me?" he roared. Alex looked down again quickly, but she knew it was too late. She felt his hands at her neck, unlocking her collar and forcing her to the floor as she steeled herself for another obedience lesson._

"Alex," a voice said firmly, snapping her out of her reverie. "I asked you to describe what an obedience lesson was. It's used multiple times on your statement, but you never describe what actually is going on."

Alex looked down at the man representing the defendant. She didn't like him looking at her. He tried to always look her directly into her eyes. She looked past him, staring to where Gene and Annie were sitting along with Ray, Chris and Shaz. Gene nodded encouragingly.

"Obedience lessons were...were when he raped me," Alex said quietly. "If I did something that made him angry, he'd tell me I disobeyed him and that he'd have to teach me a lesson. He'd take off the collar and...and..." Alex couldn't continue, breaking the eye contact with the man's forehead to stare down at her feet, clad in black heels and stockings.

She hated the way she was dressed today. Her pencil skirt only reached her knees and though the stockings covered her legs, they did nothing to hide the legs they covered. If anything, the stockings accentuated them. Her blouse was partially see-through, but she had paired it with a long-sleeve shirt to make sure that no one could see anything underneath. She wanted to be back at Gene's house, in her oversized jumper and jogging bottoms. Anywhere but in this courtroom where Ryan's eyes were burning into her.

Alex kept her eyes away from him as she continued to answer the questions, trying not to shake as each question brought back a new memory, cutting into her, making the pain of each whip hurt again, making each scar left by a nail throb.

As the defence continued to hound her, she just prayed it could all end soon.

~(*)~

Alex shifted nervously in the seat beside Gene as Ryan Burns started his questioning. He was worried for her. Gene knew Burns couldn't get off with an easy sentence, but a part of him feared he would. Burns was still torturing Alex's dreams. The night before had made that clear. Court had been released the day before after she had finished, reconvening today for Burns to be questioned. They had all sat watching telly, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, the three went to bed. Alex had not said a word all night.

_He had been awakened by a scream. Not thinking, Gene ran out of his room, straight to Alex's room where the scream had emerged from. Gene threw open the door and turned on the light, stopping the screams immediately. She sat shaking in the middle of the bed, her eyes wide, arms wrapped around her knees, tears streaming already._

"_Alex?" he called quietly. Gene heard another door open and figured Annie had come out to see the source of the noise. _

_Alex didn't respond. He walked over to the bed, kneeling next to it. "Alex, can you look at me?" he asked, thinking back to what Annie had done when Alex had had nightmares before. "It's Gene, Alex. You're in my house. Nothing's gonna hurt you."_

_Gene fell silent and Alex, swallowing hard, turned her head to face him. Gene knew her eyes were focussed on the middle of his forehead, but at this moment he didn't care, flashing her a rare smile. "There you go Alex. See? I'm here and Annie's in the doorway. No one else."_

_Alex turned her head toward Annie, who smiled softly at her. _

"_Nightmare, Alex?" Annie asked. _

_Alex said nothing, merely nodded. _

"_Was it Ryan Burns?" _

_Alex flinched at the name, but nodded again. "It's the trial," Alex whispered. "I don't want to see him." She looked desperately at Gene. "I can't see him again!" she wailed, close to tears again. "I can't do it!"_

_Gene tried not to let his frustration show. When Alex and Annie had returned from CID that night the month before, Alex had gone straight to bed without a word to Gene. Gene had offered Annie the third bedroom in his house to stay that night. Annie had ended up staying since, and her presence had helped Alex in a way he knew he never could. She had told him about the conversation in CID, about Alex resolving to make small steps._

_And it was small steps indeed that Alex took over the next few weeks. Sometimes, Gene thought they were too small, but Annie continued to reassure him._

"_She was crucified, Gene," Annie reminded him one night after Alex had gone to bed. "Even if she hadn't been held hostage for six weeks before that, she'd still have issues to be dealing with."_

_Gene had nodded, knowing that Annie was right. He had always been impatient, however, and watching Alex only take tiny steps forward frustrated him often. It had been over a month since Annie had come, and Alex still would not look anyone in the eye. She had mastered giving the illusion that she was, however. Gene had realised when she was looking someone in the face, she was actually looking into the middle of their forehead, successfully keeping from having someone stare her in the eye. She still didn't talk much, but had started to volunteer a few sentences here and there without being asked. She still refused to be touched, but was no longer having panic attacks if she was accidentally brushed. _

_Swallowing his frustrations, Gene gave a small, reassuring smile. "Yes, you can. You're strong. One of the strongest women I've ever met. In fact, I think you beat me in being stubborn. It's bloody annoying at times, I can tell you that."_

_Alex was crying again, but it was silent, instead of the violent sobs he had come to expect. Neither had noticed that Annie had left the room, padding downstairs silently. "I'm not stubborn anymore," she whispered. "Broken. Like a house pet."_

"_No," Gene said firmly. "Do you remember your first few days after you transferred? Walking around, dressed like a prostitute, acting as though you owned the whole bloody world? Convinced Arthur Layton was the head of the drugs ring? Never shutting up, letting me get a word in edgewise?"_

_Alex nodded miserably._

"_**That's still you**__. That stubbornness is still there, Bolly. You just need to find it again. Then you can be your annoying self again, convinced you're absolutely right and thinking that you own the whole bloody world."_

_Alex hadn't moved. The tears had stopped again, but the collar of her pair of men's pyjamas she wore was soaked. _

"_How?"_

"_Small steps, Alex," Annie interjected, three mugs of tea in her hands. "Just like we've talked about." She walked into the room, handing both Gene and Alex a cup of tea. _

"_Can you get back to sleep, Alex?" Annie asked._

_Alex nodded. "You can go back to bed, Annie. Thanks for the tea." Annie nodded and said her goodnight, leaving the room. _

"_Er...Night Bolls," Gene said, unsure of how to exit. _

"_Gene?" Alex whispered. "I...I don't want to be alone."_

"_You want me to sleep in here tonight?"_

"_Please."_

_Gene nodded. "Just a minute, Bolly," he said, leaving the room and going down to the sofa. He knew that there was no way he could sleep in the same bed as Alex and didn't fancy laying on the wood floor all night. _

_He stripped the sofa of its cushions and took them back upstairs, stopping in his room for a moment to grab his duvet and a pillow. He went back to Alex's room, where she was still sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs in the middle of her bed. _

_Gene put the cushions on the floor, halfway between the door and the bed. Alex watched him, looking guilty. He turned off the lights and sighed as he relaxed into the cushions._

"_I'm sorry, Gene," Alex's voice said quietly._

"_Don't apologise Bolls. You're fine. Try and get some sleep."_

_He heard her adjust in the bed and then the room fell into silence. Gene adjusted himself on the cushions, finally finding a comfortable spot and started to doze._

_Halfway to slumber, her voice seemed to come from a distance. "G'night Gene."_

"_Night Bolls."_

Gene focussed back on the questioning. With each question that was asked, he felt a grin growing wider. The man was digging himself a hole that he was never going to get out of. Alex kept shifting next to him, and he wondered if she was considering running out of the courtroom. He and Annie had debated that morning, whilst Alex was getting ready over whether or not she should go at all. She had told Gene that morning that she had decided she should go.

"_Do you think that we should let her go?" Gene had asked Annie._

"_There are two ways Alex can react to this," she had said. "Either it will help her tremendously, or make her pull back into her shell once more. There's no way to tell until it happens though."_

"_What do you think, Annie?" Gene had asked. It was a sign of how close their friendship was that he was asking her opinion. Gene never asked anyone for any opinion, especially not psychologists. He didn't understand how they worked, and anything he didn't understand he didn't like. Annie knew this and looked at him in surprise, but said nothing about it._

"_I think...At this stage, we should let Alex make her own decisions. This is really one of the first decisions she's made since I've met her. If we tell her that she can't go, that's reinforcing what Ryan Burns was telling her. I don't think we should try to dissuade her."_

_Alex had walked into the end of their conversation. "I have to do it," she said, her voice still small and quiet, though not nearly as hoarse. "I want to make sure he's sentenced." Gene knew if this was the old Alex, her eyes would be glinting, sparking, daring him to challenge her. This was not the case, however._

_Her eyes were something that had barely changed at all. Though her face lit up with a smile on rare occasions, it never met her eyes, which were still hollow and dead. It was the expression in her eyes that Gene found he missed the most. Her eyes always showed how she felt, betraying her anger or her happiness. Now they showed nothing except the depth of her misery. It hurt Gene to look into her eyes, to see the hollowness. He hoped that soon, she'd get a flicker of something else. Of happiness, or even anger. Anything besides the vacant expression of utter desolation._

_Gene and Annie had both nodded, and they left minutes later._

"Mr. Burns," the prosecutor asked Ryan. "Why were you at the warehouse that night?"

"I had to check that the Lord's will was carried out," Burns said, staring at Alex.

Alex shifted nervously next to Gene, continually crossing and uncrossing her legs and tucking her hair behind her ears.

Gene hoped that this wouldn't make her retreat once more. He didn't know if he could deal with that again. Annie was leaving after the New Year, and if Alex had retreated again, he didn't know if he could take care of her when she had her panic attacks, when she refused to eat or speak. Annie had helped her through all that, trying to involve Gene as much as possible, but still taking the brunt of it. After last night, however, maybe Gene could deal with it. He hoped he wouldn't have to, though. He wanted his posh, mouthy tart back.

"So you confess that you tried to murder her?" the prosecutor questioned, cutting into Gene's fears.

"No. I was sending her spirit to God. Just like with Delphine."

There was an audible gasp from the people in the court. The prosecutor, looking delighted, flipped through Ryan's file. "It says here you were arrested for the murder of Delphine Parks in 1981."

Ryan sighed. "I did not _murder_ her! She was dirty. She had to be cleansed. Just like that whore that's sitting up there."

Gene felt Alex tense as Ryan pointed directly at her.

"I was saving her soul! I was saving her from going to hell! I saved the rest of the CID, but they wouldn't let me save the DI!"

Burns was standing now, and an officer had approached him, ready to restrain him if need be. "YOU ARE ALL SINNERS!" he bellowed. "You lie, you cheat, you whore yourselves out! And then when someone comes along, trying to save your souls, you lock him up in prison! You tried that two years ago when I was arrested for some trumped up drugs charge, but the Lord released me! If you try again, the Lord will interfere again! I dare you!"

Burns had been restrained during the middle of the rant, and was now struggling with the guards. The prosecutor, however, looked gleefully at the judge.

"The prosecution rests."

~(*)~

Gene walked out of the court, followed closely by Alex and Annie. Burns had been sentenced to life in prison. The spirit of the crowd was excited and everyone was chattering happily.

Alex was silent, her face one of shock.

"You okay, Bolls?"

"I never thought it would happen," she said in shock. "He's gone. For life." Her face broke into a small smile and this time, for the first time in months, it met her eyes. Gene was so excited at that moment that he would have kissed Ray.

"He's gone, Alex. He's where he deserves to be. A cage."

Alex nodded. "He's the animal," she muttered, mostly to herself.

"C'mon, Bolls, let's go celebrate."

Alex nodded and Gene started out the door. He was stopped in his tracks, however, when a hand cautiously filled his. A soft, feminine hand that he could never forget the feel of as long as he lived.

Gene turned in disbelief, confirming the fact that Alex was indeed holding his hand. Annie was beaming in delight.

Alex, however just looked at him, her eyes hollow again, still focussed on his forehead. "Small steps," she whispered.

Gene knew that eventually they would get over this. He knew that Alex would never be the same after her ordeal, but maybe, just maybe, there could be some normalcy in their lives once more. Eventually, maybe her eyes would express her feelings again. Maybe she would be able to stare him straight in the eye, to defy him and damn the consequences. But for now, she was willingly touching his hand. And for now, that was all he needed.

"Small steps," he replied happily.

~(*)~

He sat on the bed, staring at the door of his cell. Life. He had gotten life. How was he supposed to help anyone now?

Ryan continued to think as the day faded into night. Finally, around midnight, he sat up, a huge smile on his face. The Lord could still get him out of this. With any luck, he'd be up for parole in forty years.

He could save Alex Drake yet. And after forty years of careful planning, his scheme would be indestructible.

"I'll save her soul, Lord," he promised. "Even if it is the last thing I do, Alex Drake _will_ be punished."

**Rant**


End file.
